Some But Not Too Much: Multiparticipant Therapy and Positive Patient Outcomes in Skilled Nursing Facilities.

The study is cross-sectional, so it shows associations, not that group or concurrent therapy caused better function or discharge. High group or concurrent therapy was rare, with only 0.1% of patients at 25% or more, so the null result for high therapy may be imprecise. Effect sizes were small, and no minimum clinically important difference was established for these outcomes. Results apply only to Medicare short-stay SNF patients, not long-stay or non-Medicare patients. The study could not separate concurrent therapy from group therapy because overall rates were low. The functional improvement outcome used transfers, ambulation, and locomotion, so it did not capture OT self-care outcomes. Facility and patient factors not in MDS, such as expectations and therapy content, could confound results.

Authors declared no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source.

Do not conclude that group or concurrent therapy causes better patient outcomes. The study is cross-sectional, and it could not separate concurrent therapy from group therapy. The positive associations were small for low and medium levels. Also, do not treat the 25% or more category as proven safe or beneficial. It was rare, only 0.1% of patients, and showed no significant difference from individualized therapy.