The Way to Goal-oriented Therapy Planning in Neurorehabilitation

The Way to Goal-oriented Therapy Planning in Neurorehabilitation: Adherence to Targeted Clinical Pathways in Subacute Stroke- a Feasibility Study

The aim of this feasibility study is to investigate whether target-oriented treatment planning can be maintained in the rehabilitation of stroke patients using the existing classification (LIMOS) and evidence-based specialist treatment pathways. If the goal-oriented treatment planning cannot be adhered to, reasons for failure should be investigated.

According to Feigin and employees, in 2013 there were 25.7 million people worldwide who survived a stroke. In order to regain independence in everyday life after a mild to severe stroke, a rehabilitation phase is recommended. Rehabilitation is a holistic process with the aim of maximising participation in the daily life of the affected person. Tailor-made interventions with a focus on impairment, activity and participation should be carried out for this purpose. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was developed in a worldwide consensus and declared by the WHO as a generally accepted framework for describing function and health. In rehabilitation, it is considered as standard and is used to speak a uniform language between the disciplines, to understand the needs of patients, to adapt the corresponding interventions to the needs and to measure outcomes. In order to optimally plan the process, Stroke Guidelines recommend to define goals together with the patient and to use standardized and valid assessments. So far, the following assessments have been used for the neurorehabilitation of stroke patients: Barthel Index, Functional Independence Measure and Functional Assessment Measure as well as the Modified Ranking Scale, but according to Ottiger and her colleagues there was a lack of multidisciplinary assessments with good psychometric properties and which are based on ICF. For this reason, the ICF-based multidisciplinary observation scale (LIMOS) was developed in Lucerne. It consists of four multidisciplinary components based on the following ICF domains: motor function, cognition, communication and coping with everyday life. Due to its good psychometric properties, LIMOS was recommended as a multidisciplinary assessment for neurorehabilitation. The Rehabilitation Clinic Zihlschlacht (RZS) has an interprofessional team. Each discipline carries out subject-specific assessments and plans the necessary therapy units based on empirical values. So far, however, there has been no algorithm that records the deficits of a stroke patient on an interdisciplinary basis and uses the results to determine the main therapeutic areas. In RZS, patient satisfaction with the therapy plan in 2017 was 77%. The reasons for dissatisfaction were: Lack of inclusion of needs, lack of adaptation to changing needs, time aspects, lack of information and the proportion of cognitive and motor therapies. Now the therapy planning system is to be optimized. The LIMOS classification should help to record the patient in an interdisciplinary manner and to visualize focal points. Together with the patient, goals are discussed which are weighted on the basis of LIMOS. These results, together with evidence-based subject-specific treatment pathways, are integrated into an algorithm (GOAL) that creates a goal-oriented treatment plan.

The aim of this feasibility study is to investigate whether target-oriented treatment planning can be maintained in the rehabilitation of stroke patients using the existing classification and evidence-based specialist treatment pathways. If the goal-oriented treatment planning cannot be adhered to, reasons for failure should be investigated.

Inclusion Criteria:

• clinical diagnosis of ischemic (e.g., anterior, middle or posterior cerebral artery, cerebellar arteries) or haemorrhagic stroke
• subacute stage: 2 weeks to 6 months after the event7
• signed declaration of consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• other cerebrovascular events (sinus vein thrombosis or subarachnoid haemorrhage)
• participation in other intervention studies
• any medical conditions that interfere with the patient's ability to adhere to the target therapy plan as judged by the sponsor-investigator (e.g., severe dementia)