TOPIC

Adult rehabilitation research

Everything we have read on adult rehabilitation. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

1,091 PAPERS · PAGE 10 OF 22 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTQualitative2021(Dis)Ability-informed Mentors Support Occupational Performance for College Students with Learning Disabilities and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders through Problem Solving and a Focus on Strengths.The British journal of occupational therapyMentors with disability knowledge co-created strategies with students, moving beyond academics to cover executive function, adult life skills, and stress. This holistic support helped students manage LD/ADHD challenges across social and daily contexts, not just in class.
• PTOTNarrative Review2021Understanding the Process and Challenges for Return-to-Work Post-Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation from a Musculoskeletal Perspective: A Narrative Review.Occupational therapy internationalUsing a musculoskeletal return-to-work model for post-HCT patients is expert consensus, not tested evidence. Functional capacity evaluation and job evaluation can guide individualized plans, with monitoring for unpredictable complications.
• PTOTOther2021Construct Validity and Clinical Utility of World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 in Older Patients Discharged From Emergency Departments.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesThe WHODAS 2.0 was only partly related to Barthel, AMPS, Timed Up and Go or chair stand in older emergency department patients. Four domains had many patients at the no-disability score, and some items were left unanswered.
• OTOther2021Occupational performance coaching for stroke survivors delivered via telerehabilitation using a single-case experimental design.The British journal of occupational therapyTelehealth occupational performance coaching for stroke survivors was feasible: six completed, satisfaction averaged 24.8 on an 8-32 scale, and relationships were strong. But only six of 14 goals improved, so it is not proven effective.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Predictors of return to work among stroke survivors in south-west Nigeria.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTStroke survivors in Nigeria returned to work at a 63.8% rate. Those with left-side weakness were far more likely to return than those with right-side weakness. Environmental barriers like transport and workplace access, plus pain and fatigue, significantly hindered return to work.
• PTOTOther2021Combining goal setting and achievement with occupational therapy to improve pain, psychological factors and physical activity in patients after high tibial osteotomy: A non-randomized controlled study.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTOT goal setting did not lower walking pain more than usual rehab, but was associated with better depression, more daily steps and more activity time by five weeks.
• OTOther2021An examination of the psychometric properties of the occupational identity questionnaire for community-living elderly who require care.Hong Kong journal of occupational therapy : HKJOTA 14-item self-report questionnaire helped older adults in Japan describe past self, present and future expectations, and current satisfaction. It was consistent as a self-report, but weakly matched therapist-rated occupational identity, so use it as the client's voice, not a replacement for clinical interview.
• OTOther2021The Influence of Self-Perception on Manipulative Dexterity in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis.Occupational therapy internationalSelf-perception of dexterity predicted objective test scores, but self-reported ability did not correlate with actual performance. ABILHAND scores aligned with quality of life, not the pegboard tests. Assess how patients feel about their hands and their quality of life, not just their speed.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021The delivery of the ReWork-Stroke program: A process evaluation.Work (Reading, Mass.)Two OTs delivered a stroke return-to-work program to 13 clients. They found workplace visits, building alliances with clients, and coordinating with employers were key. The three-month work trial limit was often too short for clients to fully realize their new limitations.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021The intersection of gross motor abilities and participation in children with autism spectrum disorder.Infants and young childrenChildren with autism who had better gross motor skills participated more in self-care, active play, and social interaction. Many children lacked opportunities for team sports or bike riding due to parent or environmental factors, not just their own ability.
• PTOTOther2021Impact of Upper Extremity Impairment and Trunk Control on Self-Care Independence in Children With Upper Motor Neuron Lesions.Physical therapyTrunk control explains more self-care independence in children with upper motor neuron lesions than arm movement quality, spasticity, or strength. Therapists should prioritize trunk stability training, as it provides the stable base required for the upper limbs to function effectively during daily tasks.
• OTProtocol2021A social-healthcare pathway to facilitate return to work of cancer survivors in Italy: The UNAMANO project.Work (Reading, Mass.)This paper describes how a new Italian support pathway for cancer survivors returning to work was designed. It outlines the roles of occupational therapists and the types of help offered, but reports no results on whether the pathway helps patients return to work.
• PTOTOther2021Profile of social self-management practices in daily life with Parkinson's disease is associated with symptom severity and health quality of life.Disability and rehabilitationPeople with Parkinson's disease had seven social self-management profiles. More engagement in home and community activities tracked with less severe symptoms and better quality of life; support engagement did not clearly explain outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Sustained Attention and Working Memory Predict the Number of Days on Health-Related Benefits in the Year Following Occupational Rehabilitation.Journal of occupational rehabilitationFor patients on long-term benefits, better sustained attention and working memory at the start of rehab predicted fewer days on benefits one year later. Attention improvement during rehab also predicted fewer benefit days in this group.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021A Systematic Search and Review of Questionnaires Measuring Individual psychosocial Factors Predicting Return to Work After Musculoskeletal and Common Mental Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationThree psychosocial factors predict return to work after musculoskeletal or mental disorders. Self-efficacy is a strong predictor for both. Expectations predict well for musculoskeletal issues, while work ability is less reliable for mental disorders. Several validated questionnaires exist to measure these factors.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Employment After Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Among Women in the Sister and the Two Sister Studies.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMost breast cancer survivors kept their jobs, but those with neuropathy affecting work or poor general health were much more likely to lose employment. Lymphedema was not a significant predictor. Survivors often worked fewer hours or feared losing insurance rather than quitting.
• OTCohort2021Effort-Reward Imbalance at Work and Overcommitment in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI): Associations with Return to Work 6 Months After AMI.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWork stress before an AMI did not show a clear link to returning to work at 6 months once other factors were considered. Low physical and mental quality of life was linked to not returning.
• PTOTCohort2021Recovery Courses of Patients Who Return to Work by 3, 6 or 12 Months After Total Knee Arthroplasty.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPatients who returned to work by 3 months after knee replacement had significantly less knee pain and stiffness than those who returned later. Late returners were held back by persistent knee symptoms, not by mental health issues or social factors.
• OTCohort2021The Return-to-Work Self-efficacy Questionnaire (RTW-SE): A Validation Study of Predictive Abilities and Cut-off Values for Patients on Sick Leave Due to Anxiety or Depression.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPost-treatment scores on a return-to-work self-efficacy questionnaire separated patients working fully from those on sick leave. Scores of 4.6 or higher predicted full return at 3, 6 and 12 months.
• PTOTRCT2021Two-Year Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial of Inpatient Multimodal Occupational Rehabilitation Vs Outpatient Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Sick Listed Workers with Musculoskeletal or Common Mental Disorders.Journal of occupational rehabilitationInpatient multimodal rehabilitation led to faster and more frequent return to work over two years compared to outpatient therapy. However, the reduction in total sick leave days did not reach statistical significance. The intensive inpatient program showed clear benefits for work participation.
• OTQualitative2021Beliefs About Return to Work Among Women During/After Long-Term Sick Leave for Common Mental Disorders: A Qualitative Study Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWomen returning to work after long-term sick leave for mental health disorders felt pressure from all sides. They feared losing competence and financial stress, yet valued work for identity and safety. Support felt conditional, often causing guilt rather than relief.
• OTCohort2022Identifying Return to Work Self-Efficacy Trajectories in Employees with Mental Health Problems.Journal of occupational rehabilitationEmployees with mental health problems follow six distinct self-efficacy trajectories. Those with anxiety disorders were more likely to experience decreasing confidence and lower return-to-work rates. Younger employees and those with stress-related issues showed increasing confidence. This suggests tailored support is needed rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
• PTOTCohort2021Relationship Between Nursing Home Compare Improvement in Function Quality Measure and Physical Recovery After Hip Replacement.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationThe average change per 10 days in a nursing home function score rose from 1.00 to 1.06 points after the quality measure was added. Self-care, mobility, and balance also rose, but this study cannot show the measure caused the change.
• OTCohort2021'Return to Work' Coordinator Model and Work Participation of Employees: A Natural Intervention Study in Finland.Journal of occupational rehabilitationMunicipalities using return-to-work coordinators saw higher sickness absence rates but lower disability retirement risks than those without. The coordinators appeared to keep people in the workforce with temporary leave rather than allowing permanent exits.
• OTCohort2022Employees Receiving Inpatient Treatment for Common Mental Disorders in Germany: Factors Associated with Time to First and Full Return to Work.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAfter inpatient treatment for common mental disorders, employees with negative return expectations, longer prior absence, or needing individual support had slower return. Worse leadership was linked to slower full return.
• OTSystematic Review2021The Role of the Employer in Supporting Work Participation of Workers with Disabilities: A Systematic Literature Review Using an Interdisciplinary Approach.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers with disabilities were reported to return to work or stay employed more often when employers offered accommodations and supervisors gave support. Company size and sector were inconsistent. These are associations, not proof that one accommodation caused the outcome.
• OTSurvey2021Indicators of poor mental health and stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic, by disability status: A cross-sectional analysis.Disability and health journalIn April and May 2020, US adults with any disability reported more depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, substance use, and stress than adults without disability: 56.8% versus 18.4% had depressive symptoms, and 20.7% versus 4.1% had suicidal thoughts.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Perceived Injustice After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.The Journal of head trauma rehabilitationPerceived injustice levels were low and similar in mild brain injury and ankle fracture groups. However, feeling that the injury was unfair or permanent correlated strongly with more postconcussion, depressive, and stress symptoms in the brain injury group.
• PTOTSLPOther2021A Retrospective Quality Improvement Study to Describe Operational Management Strategies in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationInpatients continued to make functional gains despite pandemic restrictions, but length of stay increased. Bedside therapy and reduced hours did not prevent improvements in self-care and mobility scores compared to the prior year.
• PTOTCohort2021Measuring Discharge Outcomes, Length of Stay, and Functional ADL Score During COVID-19 in Inpatient Rehabilitation Hospitals.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationDischarge destination did not change between pre-pandemic and early-pandemic periods for 1074 patients, but early-pandemic patients had lower discharge function scores (41.0 vs 44.0, higher means more independent) and longer stays (18.8 vs 16.7 days), and COVID-positive status itself was not linked to outcomes.
• PTOTCohort2021Association of Lifetime TBI and Military Employment with Late Life ADL Functioning: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationOlder adults with a past head injury involving loss of consciousness reported more difficulties with daily activities at study entry than those without such injury. However, the rate at which these difficulties increased over time was not significantly different between the groups.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2022State-specific prevalence of current e-cigarette use by disability status and disability type-United States, BRFSS 2016-2018.Disability and health journalCurrent e-cigarette use is significantly higher among US adults with disabilities than without. The disparity is most pronounced in young adults aged 18-24 and those with cognitive disabilities. Clinicians should routinely screen all patients with disabilities for vaping.
• PTOTCohort2021Digital Rehabilitation for Acute Ankle Sprains: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesPatients with acute ankle sprains who completed a fully remote digital rehabilitation program reported significant reductions in pain and improvements in function over six months. Because this study had no control group, these results describe what happened to patients using the app, not proof that the app works better than standard care.
• PTOTCohort2021Timing of Health Service Use Among Truck Drivers After a Work-Related Injury or Illness.Journal of occupational rehabilitationPhysical therapy was common for injured truck drivers, with 16 visits typical over 130 weeks, peaking 5 to 15 weeks after their compensation claim was lodged. Mental health care was used by only 6.3%, and mostly later.
• PTOTSLPRCT2021Comparison of attention process training and activity-based attention training after acquired brain injury: A randomized controlled study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineAttention Process Training (APT) improved specific work skills like mental energy and organization more than Activity-based Attention Training (ABAT). However, both groups improved similarly in daily life satisfaction and general work ability, so neither approach proved superior for overall occupational outcomes.
• OTCohort2022Psychosocial Working Conditions Play an Important Role in the Return-to-Work Process After Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty.Journal of occupational rehabilitationAfter knee or hip replacement, mainly physical or mixed physical-mental jobs were linked to longer time to return. More job development, recognition, or supervisor leadership was linked to faster return; work adjustments were not linked.
• OTQualitative2022Barriers and Facilitators for Return to Work from the Perspective of Workers with Common Mental Disorders with Short, Medium and Long-Term Sickness Absence: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study.Journal of occupational rehabilitationWorkers with mental health disorders blamed sickness absence on work pressure and poor support, not their diagnoses. Long-term absence linked to unfavourable conditions and reactive coping, while short-term absence involved favourable conditions and proactive recovery.
• OTOther2021Cognitive Correlates of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Performance in Parkinson Disease Without Dementia.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationPeople with Parkinson disease without dementia needed more cueing and took longer on complex daily tasks, even when standard cognitive test scores were similar. Real task testing may reveal problems that standard tests miss.
• PTOTCohort2021The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) as Routine Practice in Community-Based Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Chart Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost community rehab patients improved their self-rated performance and satisfaction by at least 2 points, regardless of age or diagnosis. However, those who did not finish their program scored 1.5 to 2 points lower. The COPM works as a routine outcome measure.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Rehabilitation in Acute COVID-19 Patients: A Japanese Retrospective, Observational, Multi-Institutional Survey.Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitationMost mild and severe patients recovered walking and swallowing independently without rehabilitation. Critical patients had higher rates of persistent disability. Rehabilitation was provided to only 13% of patients, often delayed or suspended due to PPE shortages and staff concerns, though no therapists were infected.
• PTOTSurvey2022Psychological and behavioral responses during the COVID-19 pandemic among individuals with mobility and/or self-care disabilities.Disability and health journalPeople with mobility or self-care disabilities reported higher mental distress during the pandemic, highest if both. Resilience was lower, and its link to lower distress was weakest when both disabilities were present.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome Negatively Impacts Physical Function, Cognitive Function, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Participation.American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitationPatients with post-acute COVID-19 reported severe fatigue, cognitive impairment, and reduced participation. Physical exertion triggered symptom exacerbation in 86% of patients, and full-time employment dropped from 76% to 41%. These findings suggest rehabilitation must account for post-exertional worsening.
• PTOTSLPOther2022A delphi procedure on rehabilitation outcome for patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury; first phase of the Neurotraumatology Quality Registry (NET-QURE).Journal of rehabilitation medicineExperts agreed on specific outcome measures for 12 of 17 domains in moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Consensus was reached for tools assessing quality of life, pain, anxiety, depression, communication, and activities of daily living.
• OTCase Series2022Effect of multi-grip myoelectric prosthetic hands on daily activities, pain-related disability and prosthesis use compared with single-grip myoelectric prostheses: A single-case study.Journal of rehabilitation medicineExperienced single-grip prosthesis users who switched to a multi-grip hand with occupational therapist-led training reported better daily-activity performance and satisfaction, less pain-related disability in those with baseline pain, and increased wearing time. Control skill did not clearly improve.
• PTOTQualitative2021Application of a myoelectric elbow flexion assist orthosis in adult traumatic brachial plexus injury: patient perspectives.Prosthetics and orthotics internationalPatients with brachial plexus injury found myoelectric elbow orthoses helpful for retraining movement in therapy but unreliable for daily life due to sweat interference, lack of strength, and shoulder pain. Expectations of restoring normal arm function were unmet.
• OTSLPCohort2021Subjective executive dysfunction in patients with primary brain tumors and their informants: relationships with neurocognitive, psychological, and daily functioning.Brain injurySubjective executive dysfunction in brain tumor patients tracked closely with psychological distress and daily independence, but not with objective cognitive test scores. Informant reports matched patient reports on distress but diverged on functional tasks like financial management.
• PTOTSurvey2021Survey of transfemoral amputee experience and priorities for the user-centered design of powered robotic transfemoral prostheses.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTransfemoral amputees using microprocessor knees reported higher autonomy, satisfaction, and daily prosthesis use than those with mechanical knees. Both groups prioritized stability and comfort over running capability. Cost sensitivity did not correlate with income, but rather with the level of insurance reimbursement.
• PTOTSLPPilot2021Eye-gaze control of a wheelchair mounted 6DOF assistive robot for activities of daily living.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationTen healthy participants completed object retrieval tasks using an eye-gaze controlled wheelchair and robotic arm. They reported high satisfaction and ease of use, but the system was tested only on able-bodied users, not people with impairments.
• PTOTRCT2021Efficacy of a technology-based client-centred training system in neurological rehabilitation: a randomised controlled trial.Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitationAdding i-ACT to usual therapy gave no clear added functional benefit in 45 people with central nervous system deficits. Both groups improved. The self-reported ability score favoured i-ACT during training, then usual therapy later.
• PTOTSystematic Review2021Relationship Between Sensibility Tests and Functional Outcomes in Patients With Traumatic Upper Limb Nerve Injuries: A Systematic Review.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationSemmes-Weinstein monofilament and Weinstein Enhanced Sensory Test scores consistently tracked with hand function, quality of life, and return-to-work status. Two-point discrimination results were inconsistent, so improved scores on that test do not reliably predict better daily function.