THE INDEX

Every paper we have read

Each one summarised from the full article, not its abstract, and kept only if it speaks to physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology or nursing. Newest first.

35,183 PAPERS · PAGE 557 OF 704 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTOther2024Development of a value-based scoring system for the MobQoL-7D: a novel tool for measuring quality-adjusted life years in the context of mobility impairment.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with mobility impairments rate severe health states as less negative than the general public does. Clinicians should not assume patients view their condition as devastating. When calculating quality-adjusted life years, specify whose perspective you are using, as the two groups value states differently.
• OTCohort2024Intraindividual variability in post-stroke cognition and its relationship with activities of daily living and social functioning: an ecological momentary assessment approach.Topics in stroke rehabilitationIn 202 mild-to-moderate stroke survivors, people whose self-reported cognitive problems varied more across the day had worse daily activities and social functioning. Standardized cognitive tests did not show the same differences.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Fibromyalgia pain management effectiveness from the patient perspective: a qualitative evidence synthesis.Disability and rehabilitationPatients with fibromyalgia report conflicting views on pain management. Exercise and medication are polarizing, with some finding relief and others experiencing worsened pain or side effects. Success often depends on individualized, person-centered care and validation of the diagnosis rather than standardized protocols.
• PTOTPilot2024The IndieTrainer system: a small-scale trial exploring a new approach to support powered mobility skill acquisition in children.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyChildren with severe mobility limitations using a device that turns their manual wheelchair into a power trainer showed significant gains in understanding and executing power wheelchair skills. Parents reported high satisfaction. However, without a control group, it is unclear if the device itself caused these improvements.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Time to Service and Its Relationship with Outcomes in Workers with Compensated Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEarly physical therapy and biopsychosocial care linked to faster return to work. Early MRI and opioids linked to longer disability and higher costs. Delayed surgery worsened neck outcomes. Timely access matters, but the specific service changes the result.
• Other2024Evaluation of Electric and Air-Powered Shopping Scooters in Grocery Stores.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationThis paper reports no clinical findings.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Factors related to high-risk movement behaviour in people with stroke who are highly sedentary and inactive.Disability and rehabilitationStroke survivors with high-risk sedentary habits were largely unaware of their movement patterns and relied on daily routines rather than conscious regulation. Participants stated that receiving feedback on their actual activity levels and support to break habitual sitting were key to enabling change.
• OTSurvey2024Social Insurance Literacy Among the Sick-listed-A Study of Clients' Comprehension and Self-Rated System Comprehensibility of the Sickness Insurance System.Journal of occupational rehabilitationClients who rated the Swedish sickness insurance system as easier to understand more often had ongoing sickness benefits and saw the system as fair. Their own ability to obtain, understand, or act on information showed weaker links.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Wellbeing After Finalization of a Workers' Compensation Claim: A Systematic Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationInjured workers who had finished a workers' compensation claim often had ongoing poor health, unstable work and financial strain. No study directly measured overall wellbeing, so these are related outcomes, not a confirmed wellbeing finding.
• PTOther2024Clinical assessment, treatment, and referral trends for adolescent runners seeking care at an injured runners' clinic.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineAdolescent runners with shin injuries received the most clinical resources, including imaging, referrals, and supplements. Care shifted over ten years toward nutrition and gait training, reflecting updated consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, while manual tests remained the primary diagnostic tool.
• OTOther2024Two Decades of Department of Veterans Affairs Traumatic Brain Injury Care and Benefits for Veterans of Post-9/11 Conflicts.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationThe VA TBI Registry has identified 441,639 post-9/11 Veterans with possible or confirmed TBI. Most were classified as mild, and some still reported symptoms months to years later.
• PTOTSurvey2024Improving telehealth for persons with multiple sclerosis - a cross-sectional study from the Australian MS longitudinal study.Disability and rehabilitationMost participants with MS used telehealth, and most who rated it said it was positive. They wanted preparation guidance, remote monitoring devices, and ways to do physical tests or treatment remotely.
• PTOTOther2024ICF classification of therapeutic goals for outpatient episodes of neurorehabilitation in post-stroke and Parkinson disease.Disability and rehabilitationClinicians mostly set goals for what patients can do in the clinic, not in daily life. Only 21% of goals targeted real-world performance, and fewer than 1% used direct measurement. This disconnect may explain why capacity improves but daily function does not.
• PTOTCohort2024Patterns of Mental Health Service Use in Australian Workers with Low Back Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationOnly 9.7% of workers with low back pain claims received funded mental health services. Those who did wait a median of 26.6 weeks for the first visit. Services were concentrated in workers with long-term time loss, with psychologists providing most care.
• OTCohort2024Level of and Changes in Perceived Work Ability Among Partial Disability Pensioners and the Risk of Full Disability Pension-A Register-Linked Cohort Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAmong employees on partial disability pension, those rating their work ability as poor were nearly twice as likely to move to full disability pension within ten years. However, whether their work ability improved or worsened over four years did not predict this risk.
• PTOTOther2024Assessment of mental health and quality of life among children with congenital heart disease.Journal of pediatric rehabilitation medicineChildren with congenital heart disease had more mood and anxiety disorders than healthy comparison children, and cyanotic children had the lowest quality-of-life scores. The study compares groups. It does not show that treatment works.
• Other2024Development and alpha testing of a patient shared decision aid for prosthesis design for new lower limb prosthesis users.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalA new tool to help patients and prosthetists decide on prosthesis design was rated highly usable by a small group of experts and patients. It simplifies complex choices but has not yet been tested in real clinics to see if it actually improves care.
• OTOther2024Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing Interventions to Prevent Musculoskeletal Disorders in Blue-Collar Workers: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPreventing musculoskeletal disorders in blue-collar workers is more likely to be implemented when workers help design and choose the program, and when managers support changes. Barriers include rigid production cultures, weak employer support, and too many job rotations.
• OTOther2024The Social Insurance Literacy Questionnaire (SILQ): Development and Psychometric Evaluation.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA new 23-item questionnaire measures how well sick leave clients understand and act on insurance information, and how clear the agency is. It works well for most people, but scores for men and women differ significantly on one item about arguing legal cases.
• PTOTOther2024Challenges of Measuring Self-Reported Exposure to Occupational Biomechanical Risk Factors Amongst People with Low Literacy Engaged in Manual Labour: Findings from a Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Investigation in an African Population with Chronic Low Back Pain.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe Igbo version of the Occupational Risk Factor Questionnaire is reliable but showed unexpected results: higher reported physical job exposure linked to lower disability and pain. This likely reflects the 'healthy worker' effect, where those with more pain stop working, rather than heavy work being protective.
• PTOTCohort2024Disparities in access but not outcomes: Medicaid versus non-Medicaid patients in multidisciplinary chronic pain rehabilitation.Disability and rehabilitationMedicaid patients started pain rehab with worse pain and lower function than non-Medicaid patients, but both groups improved equally over three weeks. Access to multidisciplinary programs remains the barrier, not the effectiveness of the treatment for disadvantaged populations.
• Other2024Initial development and psychometric properties of the Therapist Quality Scale.Rehabilitation psychologyThe new therapist quality scale had items that hung together well in group chronic pain sessions, but it did not show that higher quality scores meant better patient pain outcomes.
• PTOTPilot2025Healthcare Awareness Profile Interview: Development of a new evidence-based brief clinical tool to assess awareness in people with dementia.Neuropsychological rehabilitationA brief awareness interview for people with mild-to-moderate dementia was feasible by phone or video, lasted about 11 min, and was generally acceptable. It gives a profile of awareness across memory, daily tasks, social and emotional functioning and mobility, and is not yet validated.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Positive impacts of psychological pain treatments: Supplementary analyses of a randomized clinical trial.Rehabilitation psychologyHypnosis and mindfulness maintained improvements in positive psychosocial impact at six months, while pain education effects faded. There were no differences between groups immediately post-treatment or at three months, suggesting these skills help sustain well-being over time.
• OTSurvey2025Self-Perceived Interpersonal Problems Among Long-Term Unemployed Individuals, and Vocational Rehabilitation Programs (In)ability to Change Them.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAfter one year in a tailored vocational rehabilitation program, self-perceived interpersonal problems did not significantly change in 51 long-term unemployed participants with full responses. They had reported more problems than a Danish general population norm, especially cold/distanced, socially inhibited, vindictive/self-centered, and non-assertive.
• OTQualitative2025Barriers to and Facilitators for Finding and Keeping Competitive Employment: A Focus Group Study on Autistic Adults With and Without Paid Employment.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAutistic adults identified workplace inclusion, supportive supervisors, and job-coaching as key to employment. Those without jobs cited lack of energy, low self-esteem, and fear of losing benefits as barriers. Those with jobs emphasized assertiveness and finding work aligned with personal interests.
• PTOTOther2025Developing a Work Accommodation Operating Model for Workplaces and Work Ability Support Services.Journal of occupational rehabilitationA workplace survey found that fewer than half of respondents reported their workplace had enough knowledge and skills to accommodate work, and Finnish workplaces co-created a work accommodation model setting out process steps, roles, and tools. The paper does not test whether the model works.
• Qualitative2025Exploring the Role of Sickness Absence Coordinators in Implementing Interventions to Reduce Sickness Absence in Public Sector Workplaces in Denmark.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSickness absence coordinators struggled to gain line manager buy-in because managers viewed them as outsiders and lacked time for new tasks. Internal placement and top management endorsement were identified as critical for the role's success.
• PTOTOther2025Similarities and differences in factors associated with high and low sedentary behavior after stroke: a mixed methods study.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with more device-measured sitting time after stroke described basic daily tasks, help done for them, and barriers without solutions. People with less sitting time described wider activities, doing things with others, and finding ways around barriers.
• PTOTSystematic Review2025Barriers and facilitators to parent-delivered interventions for children with or infants at risk of cerebral palsy. An integrative review informed by behaviour change theory.Disability and rehabilitationParents delivering home therapy for children with or at risk of cerebral palsy often felt underprepared, time pressed, and emotionally strained. Clear knowledge, coaching for skills, realistic goals, flexible home programmes, family support, and stable therapist relationships were described as facilitating delivery.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Can General Practitioner Opioid Prescribing to Compensated Workers with Low Back Pain Be Detected Using Administrative Payments Data? An Exploratory Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAdministrative payment data can detect that at least 35.6% of opioid dispenses to workers with low back pain were likely prescribed by a general practitioner on the same day. This allows insurers to monitor prescribing trends without needing clinical notes.
• PTSLPCohort2024The Effects of Repetitive Head Impact Exposure on Mental Health Symptoms Following Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationRepetitive head impacts occurring after a moderate to severe traumatic brain injury were linked to higher depression and anxiety scores five years later. Impacts that happened before the index injury were not associated with these mental health outcomes.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Using machine learning to discover traumatic brain injury patient phenotypes: national concussion surveillance system Pilot.Brain injuryMachine learning sorted self-reported concussion symptoms into five distinct groups. One group had many symptoms and worse outcomes, including more social and work impairment. Another had headache alone and resolved quickly. These profiles may help target care, but the study did not test any treatment.
• Systematic Review2024Exploring the Occupational Lifestyle Experiences of the Families of Public Safety Personnel.Journal of occupational rehabilitationFamilies of police, firefighters, and paramedics described constant worry, emotional distance, and schedule sacrifices. They felt unsupported by employers despite being crucial to the worker's readiness. Peer support from other PSP families was valued most, while organizational help was often absent or stigmatized.
• PTOTNarrative Review2024The role of exercise in aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationFor breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor joint pain, combined aerobic and resistance exercise over many months had the strongest support to reduce pain and improve function. Yoga and tai chi were feasible, but evidence is smaller.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Translation and Psychometric Testing of the Hägerbäumer Presenteeism Scale in English.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThe English translation of the Hägerbäumer Presenteeism Scale is valid and reliable for measuring the behaviour of working while ill. It does not mix this behaviour with health status or productivity loss, offering a clear tool for assessing presenteeism in English-speaking employees.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024Social determinants of health and COVID-19 recovery after inpatient rehabilitation.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationPatients from lower-income or suburban areas reported worse quality of life and needed more help one year after rehab. Female patients also reported poorer outcomes and sought more follow-up care. Functional gains during the hospital stay were similar across all groups, so discharge scores did not predict who struggled later.
• Protocol2024Feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a wheelchair exercise training program in persons with multiple sclerosis: study protocol for a parallel group randomized controlled trial.Disability and rehabilitation. Assistive technologyThis is a protocol for a planned trial, not a report of results. It describes testing a 16-week remote exercise program for wheelchair users with MS. No patients have been treated yet, so there are no findings on whether the program works.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Neurobehavioral Symptom Profiles for the Behavioral Assessment Screening Tool in Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationAdults with chronic TBI fell into three distinct symptom profiles: High-Risk (mostly younger men with high substance misuse and impulsivity), Moderate-Risk, and High Negative Affect (mostly women with mild TBI and low other symptoms). These patterns suggest tailoring screening and intervention based on demographic and symptom clusters rather than treating TBI symptoms as a single uniform block.
• Other2024Tnfaip8 and Tipe2 Gene Deletion Ameliorates Immediate Proteoglycan Loss and Inflammatory Responses in the Injured Mouse Intervertebral Disc.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationIn mice with needle-injured tail discs, deleting two immune genes preserved proteoglycan and lowered inflammatory markers at 24 hours. No pain behavior or long-term degeneration was assessed, and mouse tail biomechanics differ from the human spine.
• PTCohort2024Healthy Days at Home Among Older Medicare Beneficiaries With Traumatic Brain Injury Requiring Inpatient Rehabilitation.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationOlder adults with traumatic brain injury spent 65.3% of the first year after discharge alive at home without hospital, nursing home, or home health care, compared with 93.2% before hospitalization. Being discharged home and better mobility at discharge were linked to more days at home.
• PTOTCohort2024Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography can predict inpatient rehabilitation functional outcome in patients with stroke.PM & R : the journal of injury, function, and rehabilitationStroke patients with abnormally low blood flow velocity in the affected brain artery gained significantly less motor function during inpatient rehabilitation compared to those with normal flow. This single-center study suggests transcranial Doppler may help predict motor recovery potential.
• PTOTSystematic Review2024Electronic Health Records for Predicting Outcomes to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review.Journal of occupational rehabilitationVery few studies use electronic health records to predict work-related musculoskeletal disorder outcomes. Most rely on claims databases. There is no standard set of data therapists should collect, and current records often lack the psychosocial and workplace factors needed for accurate prediction.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Attitudes of cardiac rehabilitation and stroke teams towards integration of stroke survivors into adapted cardiac rehabilitation: A focus group study.Clinical rehabilitationCardiac rehab staff reported positive experiences integrating stroke survivors but lacked confidence managing stroke-specific issues like tone and fatigue. Stroke teams doubted cardiac staff's ability to provide safe support. Both groups agreed a specialist stroke physiotherapist must be present in classes.
• Pilot2024Student-Led Workshop on Disability Advocacy.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationMedical students who attended a student-led workshop on disability advocacy reported increased confidence in identifying gaps in education and policy. The interactive small-group brainstorming component was most frequently cited as increasing knowledge. However, this pilot relied on self-reported confidence from twelve matched participants and did not measure actual advocacy actions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Research Letter: Relationship of Blood Biomarkers of Inflammation With Acute Concussion Symptoms and Recovery in the CARE Consortium.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationBlood inflammation markers did not predict how long concussion recovery took. However, higher levels of one marker (IL-1RA) in the first two days were linked to more depression and somatic symptoms, particularly in male athletes.
• PTCohort2024Predictors of a Preference for Telemedicine Virtual Visits in Patients Undergoing Cancer Rehabilitation.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPatients closer to the cancer center, those with solid tumors, and non-White patients preferred virtual visits. Age showed a small association in raw data but not after adjusting for other factors. Offering both virtual and in-person options best served this population.
• PTOTPilot2025Understanding Work Ability in Employees with Pain and Stress-Related Ill-Health: An Explorative Network Analysis of Individual Characteristics and Psychosocial Work Environment.Journal of occupational rehabilitationSymptom catastrophizing and perceived stress were the strongest factors linked to other issues in employees with pain or stress. Pain-disability risk was the only factor directly connected to work ability six months later. Work environment factors showed weaker links.
• OTSurvey2025The Relationship Between Strategic Human Resource Management Practices and the Employment of Vulnerable Workers: A Two-Wave Study Among Employers.Journal of occupational rehabilitationDutch employers that reported using inclusive mission statements, job creation, internships, or government financial supports were more likely to employ vulnerable workers nine months later. General workplace well-being practices showed no such link.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Community participation disparities among people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with disabilities faced larger gaps in employment, income and education than others. Disabled Black and Hispanic/Latino adults had the largest disparities. Disabled people were more likely to attend in-person medical appointments, possibly because remote options were less accessible.