2023, Volume 19
Functional evaluation of rehabilitation outcome – a pilot project on implementation of the Inpatient Functional Assessment (ICF) in selected spas
Patryk Wicher1, Kamila Furlepa1, Rafał Kaproń1, Anna Wicher2, Ewa Rybicka1, Karol Pawlak1, Maciej Jewczak3, Dominika Cichońska-Rzeźnicka4, Adam Rybicki1, Ewa Korpanty1, Sebastian Zduński1, Krystyna Futyma1, Wojciech Konarski5, Waldemar Wierzba1, Andrzej Śliwczyński1, Jan Krakowiak4
1National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland
2National Louis University, Nowy Sacz, Poland
3Department of Spatial Econometrics, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
4Department of Social Medicine, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
5Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ciechanow Hospital, Ciechanow, Poland
Author for correspondence: Patryk Wicher; National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, Warsaw, Poland; email: ptwicher@gmail.com
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Abstract
Background and Study Aim: According to World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations, the effectiveness of rehabilitation measures should be evaluated comprehensively. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) allows to make a bio-psycho-social functional assessment. ICF, being part of WHO international classifications, is an international standard for describing and assessing health and disability. This article is a presentation of a pilot application of this classification in the assessment of rehabilitation progress based on the model of information collection designed by the authors. The aim of the study was knowledge about the time-consuming nature of entering the required data related to the assessment of the effectiveness of rehabilitation intervention.
Material and Methods: Patients of two publicly funded inpatient rehabilitation centres participated in the study. On the basis of ICF-compliant criteria for assessing the progress and effectiveness of rehabilitation, the patient’s condition was assessed twice: upon his/her admission to hospital and upon his/her discharge after the rehabilitation stay. The rehabilitation stay financed from public funds by the national payer (the National Health Fund - NFZ) lasts 21 days during which each patient undergoes at least 5 physiotherapy procedures specified by a doctor. A total of 174 patients were examined.
Results: Assessment of results of rehabilitation progress in individual patients shows that vast majority of respondents (76%) demonstrated health improvement. The average questionnaire entry time was 3 minutes and 51 seconds.
Conclusions: Results of the pilot project indicate that the proposed solution would meet assumptions of a universal measure of rehabilitation progress based on the ICF model. The average time required for entering data into the questionnaire is shorter than the usual period of time needed to conduct a physiotherapy interview with a patient. Therefore, we recommend this method and tool as meeting the diagnostic criteria for use not only in rehabilitation, but also in therapy and prevention.
Key words: combat sports, effectiveness, innovative agonology, physiotherapy