Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Supervisor

Dr. Bert Chesworth

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate change in community integration (CI) and functional status following discharge from in-patient musculoskeletal (MSK) rehabilitation, and to explore the concordance between the Reintegration to Normal Living Index (RNLI) and patient interviews. Participants: Twenty-five individuals with lower extremity MSK disorders discharged home after rehabilitation. Methods: For all outcome measures, categories of change between successive time points were created using the minimal detectable change. Change patterns were evaluated at the group and individual level across four time intervals. Percent agreement quantified concordance between interview and RNLI data. Results: Change over time was confirmed at the group level. However, individual-level analyses revealed much variability in change patterns. High concordance (81%) was found between the two methods of reporting change in CI. Significance: The individual-level findings indicate heterogeneity in recovery patterns, which if assessed as a group would have not been identified. Interview findings support the RNLI for measuring CI for the target population.

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