Orthopedic impairment after medical rehabilitation: functional performance and satisfaction with community participation.

Abstract

To determine the prevalence of satisfaction with community participation and to examine associations between change in functional status and satisfaction with community participation for persons with orthopedic impairments. Retrospective study of 3832 patients discharged from medical rehabilitation facilities in 2001 using information from the IT Health Track database. Primary measures were the FIM instrument and satisfaction with community participation. The majority of patients (86.9%) were satisfied (very or somewhat) with their level of community participation. Positive-change scores in FIM total from admission to the 80- to 180-day follow-up were associated with an 8% increased odds of being in a higher satisfaction with community participation level (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.07, 1.09) after controlling for age, gender, marital status, race/ethnicity, insurance source, length of stay and functional status. Similarly, positive-change score in motor (odds ratio, 1.09; 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 1.10) and cognition (odds ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval: 1.19, 1.32) FIM measures from admission to follow-up were associated with greater satisfaction with community participation. Gains in functional status were significantly associated with greater satisfaction with community participation. Satisfaction with community participation provides information useful to evaluate patient recovery after discharge from inpatient medical rehabilitation.