The Assessment and Selection of Potential Rehabilitation Patients in Acute Hospitals: A Literature Review and Commentary

Abstract

Objective: Literature review on the assessment and selection of adults in acute hospitals regarding the need for inpatient rehabilitation. Data Sources: Electronic literature search preformed using Medline (1966-2008), Embase (1980-2008) and CINAHL (1982-2008) databases. Search terms were: 'patient selection', 'patient assessment', and 'rehabilitation'. Reference section of relevant articles screened for additional useful publications. A selection of textbooks on rehabilitation medicine was also reviewed for pertinent information or related articles. Inclusion Criteria: Search limited to articles or abstracts published in English involving the assessment of adults in acute hospitals concerning selection for inpatient rehabilitation. No restriction on type of study methodology. Data Extraction: No data extraction performed. No randomized controlled trials identified. Three non-randomized clinical trials were located. Eight prospective and one retrospective cohort study were found. Thirteen relevant non-experimental papers were also identified. Data Synthesis: No formal data synthesis because the methodological quality of identified papers was not high enough to perform formal systematic review. Therefore, a thematic synthesis was performed of relevant identified information and suggestions provided based on the literature and the clinical experience of the author. Conclusions: The assessment of patients in acute hospital for rehabilitation is an important skill. It has the potential to im- prove patient outcomes. There is a need for further research in this area.