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Objective: To determine usefulness and reliability of patient reports as a data source on the use of exercises for neck pain in primary healthcare.Design: Survey research.Subjects: A total of 176 patients with mechanical neck pain, surveyed about their physical therapy experience.Method: A questionnaire was constructed on the selection of exercises, instructions for carrying them out and follow-up provided by the physical therapist. The same items reported by the surveyed patients were also reviewed in the physical therapy record. We analysed the reliability and validity of the questionnaire, and used the valid information from the survey to estimate a total of 8 indicators on the quality of care provided.Results: Sensitivity of the items was high (>75%), suggesting that most of the recorded information could be provided by patients, and specificity was quite low, suggesting that they also provide relevant information that was not recorded. These results, particularly low specificity, were not homogeneous among items. Estimates for the indicators demonstrate room for improvement.Conclusion: Patient reports could be useful as a complement to other sources of information for physical therapy quality assessment, and they can be reliable and valid substitutes for recorded data about specific aspects of the care provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few empirical studies have been conducted on the continuity of rehabilitation services, despite the fact that it may affect clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, the perception of quality, and safety. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore experiences and perceptions of inpatients receiving physical rehabilitation in an acute care hospital and how these experiences may have led to perceived gaps in the continuity of rehabilitation care. Method: Using qualitative research methods, fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients who received physical rehabilitation during hospital stay in an acute care hospital in Murcia, Spain. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, analyzed, and grouped into predetermined and emergent codes. Results: Patients described three main themes in continuity of care: informational, management, and relational continuity. Several factors were described as influencing the perceived gaps in these three types of continuity. Informational continuity was influenced by the transfer of information among care providers. Relational continuity was influenced by patient-therapist relations and consistency on the part of the provider. Management continuity was influenced by consistency of care between providers and the involvement of patients in their own care. Conclusion: The participants in this study identified several gaps in three types of continuity of care (informational, management, and relational). Inpatients often perceive their experiences of rehabilitation as being disconnected or incoherent over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the factor structure and scale properties of items underlying the mobility activities subdomains of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)., Design: A cross-sectional self-report-based psychometric study., Setting: Outpatient rehabilitation settings (N=3) in 3 urban areas of Spain., Participants: Convenience sample of 615 patients with musculoskeletal conditions (mean age, 38.1y) participating in an active physiotherapy program., Interventions: Not applicable., Main Outcomes Measures: A 22-item Mobility Activities Measure by using a self-report questionnaire that assessed whether patients had limitations on daily activities across major ICF categories of mobility subdomains. Factor analysis, tests of item scaling, internal consistency reliability analysis, Rasch item response theory modeling, and modified parallel analysis were used., Results: Initial exploratory factor analysis results for each ICF subdomain produced a total of 5 distinct and interpretable factors or dimensions: changing and maintaining body position involving sitting and/or lying; changing and maintaining body position involving standing up; carrying, moving, and handling objects using the hand and shoulder; carrying, moving, and handling objects using the hand and/or forearm; and walking and moving. Dimensionality of these 5 factors was verified by using confirmatory factor analyses and scaling assumptions were met for each dimension. Rasch scaling and modified parallel analysis supported the unidimensionality., Conclusions: The Mobility Activities Measure is a promising new self-report measure of mobility activities as defined by the ICF. Information about Mobility Activities Measure items and dimensions from this study will be useful in the future operationalization and implementation of ICF., (Copyright © 2011 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)