Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 8 , Pages 1257-1259, August 2009

Commentary on the Comparative Effectiveness of Alternative Settings for Joint Replacement Rehabilitation

  • Margaret G. Stineman, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
    • ,
  • Leighton Chan, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests to Leighton Chan, MD, MPH, Chief, Rehabilitation Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, CRC, Room 1-1469, 10 Center Dr, MSC 1604, Bethesda, MD 20892-1604

Abstract 

Stineman MG, Chan L. Commentary on the comparative effectiveness of alternative settings for joint replacement rehabilitation.

The comprehensive Joint Replacement Outcomes in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities and Nursing Treatment Sites 1 and 2 studies presented in this issue of the Archives by DeJong and colleagues focus on an important issue facing U.S. rehabilitation today: the comparative effectiveness of alternative rehabilitation settings for the management of conditions such as joint replacement. Although there are hints in the data that patients receiving care in inpatient rehabilitation facilities compared with those treated in skilled nursing facilities may have slightly better recoveries of physical function, the evidence is weaker than for a number of other conditions. It is important to look beyond the question of which setting is best, toward gaining a deeper understanding of the elements within these settings that most enhance outcomes.

Key Words: Delivery of health care, Hospitalization, Joints, Nursing facilities, skilled, Outcome assessment (health care), Rehabilitation

List of Abbreviations: IRF, inpatient rehabilitation facility, PAC, postacute care, SF-12, Medical Outcomes Study 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, SNF, skilled nursing facility

 

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

PII: S0003-9993(09)00342-6

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2009.05.004

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 90, Issue 8 , Pages 1257-1259, August 2009

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