Submit to IJERPH Review for IJERPH Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

New Advances in Rehabilitation Outcomes Research

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Disabilities".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 March 2023) | Viewed by 9784

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Vincent Grote

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation Research, Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, 1140 Vienna, Austria
Interests: outcome measurement; rehabilitation; health; statistical analysis; research methodology; psychophysiology

Prof. Dr. Tanja A. Stamm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Outcomes Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Interests: outcomes research; patient-reported outcomes; mixed methods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic diseases are on the rise in modern society as the aging population increases. The severity of underlying diseases and expectations that physical function and quality of life can be restored define the need for rehabilitation; thus, it is increasingly important to justify its medical effectiveness. For this purpose, outcome measures are widely used and can be based on different methodological approaches, such as questionnaires, performance tests, and functional physical examinations. Efforts to standardize these measures appear in the literature, but few publications have recently emerged on multiple medical outcomes, new promising approaches, or reference values in different rehabilitation phases or specific patient groups.

Several factors influence the course of convalescence during rehabilitation, leading to discrepancies in outcomes and a misleading pattern of bias. Therefore, influencing variables must be identified, such as age, sex, lifestyle, baseline values, time dynamics, environmental factors, and especially method choice and their scientific quality criteria.

This Special Issue provides an overview of recent advances in the field of outcomes research in rehabilitation, explaining how to use clinical data and findings from basic and applied research to actively shape the practice and future of rehabilitation as a basis for decision making on and management of medical interventions.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

Rehabilitation (WHO Phases I–IV);
Routine outcomes and applicability;
Evaluation of treatment pathways;
Effect sizes and reference values;
Data collection requirements in routine and applied rehabilitation research;
Methods and approaches in outcomes research;
Cross-validation and performance of outcome measures;
Moderating factors of outcome assessments;
Critical success factors for successful rehabilitation;
Translational research.

Dr. Vincent Grote
Prof. Dr. Tanja A. Stamm
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. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2500 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
evaluation methods
core outcome sets
prevention
non-communicable diseases
degenerative diseases
post-operative conditions
need for care
treatment pathways
person-centered approach
routine outcomes
efficiency
patient involvement and engagement
quality management
surveillance
predictors
classification
bias
lifestyle
public health

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

22 pages, 1317 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Item Functioning of the Mini-BESTest Balance Measure: A Rasch Analysis Study

by Antonio Caronni, Michela Picardi, Stefano Scarano, Peppino Tropea, Giulia Gilardone, Nadia Bolognini, Valentina Redaelli, Giuseppe Pintavalle, Evdoxia Aristidou, Paola Antoniotti and Massimo Corbo

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5166; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065166 - 15 Mar 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1547

Abstract

The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), a 14-item scale, has high content validity for balance assessment. This study further examines the construct validity of the Mini-BESTest with an emphasis on its measurement invariance. The Mini-BESTest was administered to 292 neurological patients in two sessions (before and after rehabilitation) and evaluated with the Rasch analysis (Many-Facet Rating Scale Model: persons, items, sessions). Categories’ order and fit to the model were assessed. Next, maps, dimensionality, and differential item functioning (DIF) were examined for construct validity evaluation. DIF was inspected for several clinically important variables, including session, diagnosis, and assistive devices. Mini-BESTest items had ordered categories and fitted the Rasch model. The item map did not flag severe construct underrepresentation. The dimensionality analysis showed that another variable extraneous to balance affected the score of a few items. However, this multidimensionality had only a modest impact on measures. Session did not cause DIF. DIF for assistive devices affected six items and caused a severe measurement artefact. The measurement artefact caused by DIF for diagnosis was negligible. The Mini-BESTest returns interval measures with robust construct validity and measurement invariance. However, caution should be used when comparing Mini-BESTest measures obtained with and without assistive devices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Rehabilitation Outcomes Research)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1178 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Moderate, Little, or No Improvements in Neurobehavioral Symptoms among Individuals with Long COVID: A 34-Country Retrospective Study

by Daniela Ramos-Usuga, Paul B. Perrin, Yelena Bogdanova, Laiene Olabarrieta-Landa, Elisabet Alzueta, Fiona C. Baker, Stella Iacovides, Mar Cortes and Juan Carlos Arango-Lasprilla

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12593; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912593 - 2 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2334

Abstract

(1) Background: Some people with COVID-19 develop a series of symptoms that last for several months after infection, known as Long COVID. Although these symptoms interfere with people’s daily functioning and quality of life, few studies have focused on neurobehavioral symptoms and the risk factors associated with their development; (2) Methods: 1001 adults from 34 countries who had previously tested positive for COVID-19 completed the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory reporting the symptoms before their COVID-19 diagnosis, during the COVID-19 infection, and currently; (3) Results: Participants reported large-sized increases before vs. during COVID-19 in all domains. Participants reported a medium-sized improvement (during COVID-19 vs. now) in somatic symptoms, a small-sized improvement in affective symptoms, and very minor/no improvement in cognitive symptoms. The risk factors for increased neurobehavioral symptoms were: being female/trans, unemployed, younger age, low education, having another chronic health condition, greater COVID-19 severity, greater number of days since the COVID-19 diagnosis, not having received oxygen therapy, and having been hospitalized. Additionally, participants from North America, Europe, and Central Asia reported higher levels of symptoms across all domains relative to Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa; (4) Conclusions: The results highlight the importance of evaluating and treating neurobehavioral symptoms after COVID-19, especially targeting the higher-risk groups identified. General rehabilitation strategies and evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation are needed in both the acute and Long COVID phases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Rehabilitation Outcomes Research)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

16 pages, 399 KiB

Open AccessReview

Benefits of Eccentric Training with Emphasis on Demands of Daily Living Activities and Feasibility in Older Adults: A Literature Review

by Ján Cvečka, Matej Vajda, Alexandra Novotná, Stefan Löfler, Dušan Hamar and Matúš Krčmár

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3172; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043172 - 11 Feb 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2715

Abstract

Aging is associated with a decline in physical capabilities and several other health-related conditions. One of the most common age-related processes is sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is usually accompanied with a decline in skeletal muscle mass and physical functioning. A decrease in these markers usually impacts basic daily living activities (DLAs), which become somewhat harder to accomplish for older individuals. Several research studies have examined the demands of DLA in older individuals with results indicating that activities such as walking, sitting, standing, stair climbing, stair descending, and running generate high demands on older adults. The forces that act on individuals are in most cases equal or multiple times higher relative to their body mass. For instance, it was reported that the GRF (ground reaction force) during stair descent ranged from 1.43 to 1.50 of BW (body weight) in an older population. Even higher demands were recorded during other related activities. These demands of DLA raise the question of appropriate rehabilitative or training management procedures. During the past decades, an eccentric form of resistance training gained popularity due to its effectiveness and lower metabolic demands, which seems to be an appropriate method to develop and maintain a basic level of strength capabilities in higher age. Multiple factors of eccentric training have been examined including modality of exercise, intensity, frequency, and safety of the elderly. Several modalities of eccentric exercise have been shown to be effective including traditional methods, as well as machine-based ones, with or without using some equipment. The studies included in this review varied in intensity from low to high; however, the most frequently used intensity was ≥50% of the maximal eccentric strength during two or three eccentric sessions per week. Importantly, the prevalence of injury of older adults appears to have been low to none, highlighting the safety of this approach. In summary, eccentric training prescriptions for older adults should consider the demands of DLA and the characteristics of the elderly for appropriate management of training recommendations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Rehabilitation Outcomes Research)

19 pages, 726 KiB

Open AccessReview

Linear Motor Driven Leg-Press Dynamometer for Testing, Training, and Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review with a Focus on the Concept of Serial Stretch Loading

by Ján Cvečka, Matúš Krčmár, Dušan Hamar, Helmut Kern, Christian Hofer, Stefan Löfler and Matej Vajda

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4445; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084445 - 7 Apr 2022

Viewed by 2255

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this scoping review was to analyze the evidence of acute and long-term effects of the application of leg-press strength training with or without serial stretch-loading stimuli on various biomechanical and physiological outcomes. Methods: This review was performed in accordance with PRISMA for Scoping Reviews recommendations, and two researchers independently searched the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. All studies that used unique leg-press device for testing, acute responses and long-term adaptation were included in this review, irrespective of the measured outcomes. A total of 13 studies were included in this review, with 5 focused on the testing capabilities of the device and acute training responses and 8 focused on the long-term adaptations in various physical and physiological outcomes. Results: Regarding the acute responses after leg-press strength training with or without serial stretch-loading stimuli, visible changes were observed in the muscle force, rate of force development, and hormonal concentrations between pre- and postmenopausal women (only one study). Long-term studies revealed different training adaptations after performing leg-press strength training with unique serial stretch-loading stimuli. A positive trend for leg-press strength training with serial stretch-loading was recorded in the young population and athletes; however, more variable training effects favoring one or the other approach were achieved in the older population. Conclusions: In summary, this review shows the uniqueness and usability of a leg-press device that is capable of various exercising modes, including special serial stretch-loading stimuli. The use of this device can serve as a positive addition to training regiments, and the main application appears to be suitable for rehabilitation needs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Rehabilitation Outcomes Research)

► Show Figures