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Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation—2nd Edition
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Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation—2nd Edition

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Chronic Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2024) | Viewed by 4016

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Marco Tramontano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences (DIBINEM), University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
Interests: vestibular rehabilitation; osteopathic manipulative treatment; neurorehabilitation, balance disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giovanni Galeoto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; rehabilitation in orthopedics and neurology; validation of measuring tools; rehabilitation; psychometric and outcome measures validity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to changes in population health and features, it is anticipated that there will be an increase in the requirement for rehabilitation globally. People are living longer but with more chronic illnesses and disabilities, for instance. The requirement for rehabilitation is now largely unmet: more than 50% of people do not obtain the rehabilitative services they need in several low- and middle-income nations. Along with the promotion of health, the prevention of disease, the treatment of illness, and palliative care, rehabilitation is a crucial component of universal health coverage.

Health professionals of rehabilitation are a part of multi-professional and interdisciplinary teams targeted at improving activities of daily living and quality of life and preventing secondary complications and comorbidities. Several studies have reported the effectiveness of rehabilitative treatments including physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational and cognitive therapy. Recently, challenging innovative therapeutic approaches tailored to patients’ needs have progressed substantially.

There is a strong heterogeneity in validated tools among various national contexts. This heterogeneity can be assumed to have a positive meaning if one thinks about the multiple needs of the clinical context; however, clinicians have conflicting or incomplete information available to use when making decisions in patient care. Furthermore, the lack of consistency and the deficiency of standardization in outcome assessment have hindered comparative research and meta-analysis.

With this Special Issue, we would like to offer the opportunity to increase and improve evidence about the role of rehabilitation professionals in the management and treatment of patients with different clinical conditions through conventional and innovative therapeutic approaches.

On the other hand, we encourage the use of practical and appropriate outcome measures allowing comparisons and meta-analyses of high-quality randomized controlled trials.

Dr. Marco Tramontano
Dr. Giovanni Galeoto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rehabilitation
  • physiotherapy
  • rehabilitative treatments
  • neurologic disorders
  • speech therapy
  • occupational therapy
  • cognitive therapy
  • outcome measures
  • innovative therapeutic approaches

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2783 KiB  
Article
Electromyography as an Objective Outcome Measure for the Therapeutic Effect of Biofeedback Training to Reduce Post-Paralytic Facial Synkinesis
by Isabell Hahnemann, Julia Fron, Jonas Ballmaier, Orlando Guntinas-Lichius and Gerd Fabian Volk
Healthcare 2025, 13(5), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13050550 - 4 Mar 2025
Viewed by 627
Abstract
Biofeedback rehabilitation for facial palsy is not yet routinely available for patients. Methods: To improve evidence, the effect of an intensive two-week facial training combining electromyography (EMG) and visual biofeedback training of 30 patients (76.7% female; median age: 48.6 years) with post-paralytic [...] Read more.
Biofeedback rehabilitation for facial palsy is not yet routinely available for patients. Methods: To improve evidence, the effect of an intensive two-week facial training combining electromyography (EMG) and visual biofeedback training of 30 patients (76.7% female; median age: 48.6 years) with post-paralytic facial synkinesis was objectively evaluated. At the beginning of each training day, EMG amplitudes of both halves of the face were recorded during relaxation using the EMG system that was synchronously used for the EMG biofeedback training. A single-factor analysis of variance was performed for the change over time, and a t-test was used to evaluate the side differences. Results: At the end of the training program, there was a significant decrease in the EMG amplitudes of both halves of the face (synkinetic side: p < 0.001; contralateral side p = 0.003), indicating an improved voluntary muscle relaxation. There was also a significant improvement in Sunnybrook Facial Grading System, Facial Disability Index and Facial Clinimetric Evaluation scores, which were assessed before the start of training and at the end (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Electrophysiological improvements can be objectively measured using surface EMG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation—2nd Edition)
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17 pages, 312 KiB  
Article
The Hemianopia Reading Questionnaire (HRQ): Development and Psychometric Qualities in a Large Community Sample
by Sarah Tol, Marieke E. Timmerman, Alina Goltermann, Joost Heutink and Gera A. de Haan
Healthcare 2024, 12(15), 1527; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12151527 - 31 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1386
Abstract
The ability to read is important for daily life functioning. Individuals with homonymous visual field defects (iwHs) after brain injury experience frequent reading difficulties. The current study presents a novel self-report questionnaire aimed at measuring the wide variety of reading difficulties iwHs can [...] Read more.
The ability to read is important for daily life functioning. Individuals with homonymous visual field defects (iwHs) after brain injury experience frequent reading difficulties. The current study presents a novel self-report questionnaire aimed at measuring the wide variety of reading difficulties iwHs can experience: the Hemianopia Reading Questionnaire (HRQ). The 24-item HRQ was developed with help from clinical experts and experts by experience and was inspired by existing reading questionnaires for adults. The three tested subscales of the HRQ assess the relationship to reading, reading skills and daily life functional reading. The factor structure, reliability, convergent validity and divergent validity were examined in a large community sample (i.e., individuals without homonymous visual field defects) with a comparable distribution of age, gender and level of education to those who have suffered a stroke (N = 998). Two competing hypothesized models were tested and a good fit was found for a three-bifactor model of the HRQ. The reliability of the three subscales was found to be good (ω range 0.93–0.99), as well as the convergent and divergent validity (9 out of 12 Spearman’s correlations, according to expectations). The results support further use of the HRQ in iwHs, especially in the context of reading rehabilitation. Suggestions for clinical and scientific use and future psychometric research on the HRQ are provided. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation—2nd Edition)
12 pages, 285 KiB  
Article
Psychometric Properties of Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test in an Italian Population with Parkinson’s Disease
by Giovanni Galeoto, Anna Berardi, Rachele Simeon, Francescaroberta Panuccio, Giovanni Fabbrini, Daniele Belvisi, Jerónimo González-Bernal and Jesús Ángel Seco-Calvo
Healthcare 2024, 12(13), 1351; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12131351 - 6 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1542
Abstract
Background: Assessment of upper limb function is critical in the rehabilitation process of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and universally validated outcome measures are needed to allow comparisons across the practice. Moreover, the study of psychometric properties of the same tool on different [...] Read more.
Background: Assessment of upper limb function is critical in the rehabilitation process of people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and universally validated outcome measures are needed to allow comparisons across the practice. Moreover, the study of psychometric properties of the same tool on different clinical populations guarantees the possibility of reliably evaluating the same rehabilitation treatment in people with different clinical conditions. Aim of the study: The aim of this research was to evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Italian adaptation of the Jebsen Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT) in individuals with PD. Methods: The reliability and validity of the test were assessed in accordance with international standards. Internal consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha, and test–retest reliability was determined via the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The construct validity and cross-cultural validity of the test were evaluated using Pearson’s correlation coefficient with three assessment tools on upper limb function, independence, and quality of life, with hand grip power measured by a dynamometer and an Italian pangram. Finally, responsiveness after a one month of rehabilitation treatment was measured using the Wilcoxon rank test. Results: Fifty-two Italian people with PD were recruited. Cronbach’s alpha values ranged from 0.556 (non-dominant hand) to 0.668 (dominant hand); ICC values ranged from 0.754 to 0.988. Construct validity showed that several statistically significant correlations were detected. Wilcoxon’s test showed that the assessment tool can detect a change in this population after treatment. Conclusions: The JTHFT is a reliable, valid, and respondent tool to evaluate the upper limb and hand functionalities in PD patients. It should be added to the toolkit for measuring upper limb performance in this population, adding value to clinical evaluation and ensuring comparable results for different clinical populations and different countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Outcome Measures and Innovative Approaches in Rehabilitation—2nd Edition)
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