Rehabilitation for adults with complex psychosis - NICE guideline [NG181]

 This guideline aims to ensure people can have rehabilitation when they need it and promotes a positive approach to long-term recovery. It includes recommendations on organising services, care planning, and meeting people’s physical healthcare needs.

Click here for NICE guidance

National Audit of Cardiac Rehabilitation Annual Statistical Report 2017

A national audit of cardiac rehabilitation shows that about 68,000 people who had heart attacks missed out on cardiac rehabilitation in 2015/16, nearly half (49 per cent) of those who were eligible.

RCOT announces revised guidelines for occupational therapy and total hip replacement

The Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) is delighted to announce the publication of the second edition of the practice guidelines for working with people undergoing total hip replacement. Endorsed by the British Hip Society, the new guidelines recognise in particular the changes in length of recommended stay for patients as well as the fact that this surgery is increasingly being performed on younger patients.
https://www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/rcot-practice-guidelines/hip

Effect of a lateral glide mobilisation with movement of the hip on vibration threshold in healthy volunteers

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2018 Jan;22(1):13-17. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2016.10.001. Epub 2016 Oct 21.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of a lateral glide MWM of the hip joint on vibration threshold compared to a placebo and control condition in asymptomatic volunteers.
METHODS:

CONCLUSION: This small study found that a lateral glide MWM of the hip did not significantly change vibration threshold compared to a placebo and control intervention in an asymptomatic population. This study provides a method of using vibration threshold to investigate the potential neurophysiological effects of a manual therapy intervention that should be repeated in a larger, symptomatic population.

UHCW Research: A Pritchard

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital physios help develop hand therapy app

Physiotherapists at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Trust have been instrumental in developing an app to support people with hand injuries.

It provides patients with bespoke exercises prescribed by their therapist to aid recovery, according to a spokesperson for the trust, which treats more than 4,500 hand injury patients every year.

The app also contains a library of more than 80 instructional videos and audio tutorials, which patients can follow and replicate at home.

Pulmonary rehabilitation associated with lower hospital admission rates

The Pulmonary rehabilitation: Beyond breathing better report from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) National Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Audit Programme reveals that people who complete a full pulmonary rehabilitation programme are much less likely to be admitted to hospital than those who do not.

UCLH robots help stroke patients regain upper limb movement

Staff at UCLH’s stroke rehabilitation unit have become the first in the NHS to use robotic devices in conjunction with more traditional therapies to help patients regain arm and hand movement.

The robots, which help patients practise exercises to build up strength and dexterity, can be supervised by a physiotherapy assistant and were introduced as part of UCLH’s intensive three-week upper limb neuro rehabilitation programme.

NIHR Signal A commonly used treatment does not improve chronic low back pain

This trial found that destroying nerves that take pain signals to the brain using heat (radiofrequency denervation) did not improve pain, function or a sense of “recovery”. The treatment was used alongside exercise and was a variation of the technique commonly used in the UK. In this large study, it was compared to exercise alone.

Low back pain is usually short-lived, but some people develop long-term back pain which can negatively impact their lives. NICE recommends exercise, pain relief and self-management to cope with pain. If these treatments are not effective and pain is severe, then more intensive options, such as radiofrequency denervation can be considered.

From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

NIHR Signal Breathing exercises improve asthma and can be learned by DVD

Breathing exercises taught by a physiotherapist in person or on DVD both improved the quality of life of adults with poorly controlled asthma to a small but similar extent. The DVD was the cheapest option, and it could lead to inexpensive internet delivery in the future.

This NIHR-funded trial recruited 655 UK adults with poorly controlled asthma. It showed about 63% of those receiving the breathing exercises had clinically important improvements in their asthma-related quality of life over a year, compared to 56% who improved receiving usual care.
Exercises did not improve formally measured lung function, suggesting the underlying biology of the asthma was unchanged.

The findings imply that breathing exercise programmes – currently recommended in the 2016 British guideline on the management of asthma when delivered by a physiotherapist – may be equally effective, and cheaper when delivered via DVD (or another video).

From the NIHR Dissemination Centre

SPSC17: Physio suggests gaming technology could help treat adults with COPD

Canadian physiotherapist Dejan Preradovic has spoken about his research into the potential benefits of gaming technology for treating adults with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at the Scottish Physiotherapy Student Conference.

Rehab Matters - film

Rehab Matters, is a short film, commissioned by the CSP, and made by Oscar-shortlisted UK director Chris Jones, looking at the difference community rehabilitation makes to the life of a woman who has just left hospital following a stroke.

Intermediate care including reablement

This new NICE guideline covers referral and assessment for intermediate care and how to deliver the service. 

Intermediate care is a multidisciplinary service that helps people to be as independent as possible. It provides support and rehabilitation to people at risk of hospital admission or who have been in hospital. It aims to ensure people transfer from hospital to the community in a timely way and to prevent unnecessary admissions to hospitals and residential care.

Recommendations include:
1.1 Core principles of intermediate care, including reablement
1.2 Supporting infrastructure
1.3 Assessment of need for intermediate care
1.4 Referral into intermediate care
1.5 Entering intermediate care
1.6 Delivering intermediate care
1.7 Transition from intermediate care
1.8 Training and development

New rehab garden helps hospital patients return home with confidence

Leamington Spa Hospital has opened a garden to rehabilitate patients who have experienced brain injuries, strokes and amputations.

Lead physiotherapist Lucy Gwynne described the garden as ‘unique’ and said its design aims to improve the balance, mobility and confidence of patients in dealing with everyday hazards on foot and in wheelchairs.

The features of the garden are a slalom course, stepping stone path, uneven surface, bridge, activity board, wire loop challenge and cognitive therapy facilities.

Deprivation of Liberty in the Rehabilitation Setting

Position statement from the British Society of Rehabilitation Medicine on the Deprivation of Liberty in the Rehabilitation Setting.

Rehabilitation after critical illness in adults [QS158]

New NICE quality standard covers adults with rehabilitation needs as a result of critical illness that required level 2 or level 3 critical care. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

Rehabilitation after critical illness in adults

This new quality standard from NICE covers adults with rehabilitation needs as a result of critical illness that required level 2 or level 3 critical care. It describes high-quality care in priority areas for improvement.

New framework for eye health

The Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning (CCEHC), which represents the major clinical professions and charity organisations in the eye-care sector, has launched a new low vision, habilitation and rehabilitation framework for adults and children.

The framework – mainly aimed at commissioners and providers in health and social care – calls for more joined-up commissioning and provision of appropriate equipment.

Hipsprint reaches 5,000 hip fracture records

Hipsprint, the CSP’s national audit of hip fracture rehabilitation, is designed to provide invaluable insight into the rehabilitation of people after fracturing their hips. It was launched on 1 May and will be running to 31 October. The first phase will remain open for members to enter data on new patients until 31 July.

The research aims to map each patient's rehab journey over a 120-day period. It will now move into the community phase, tracking patients' experiences after leaving hospital.

Cardiac rehab patients should receive one-to-one exercise assessments and exercise programmes that take account of their individual choices

Cardiac rehab patients should receive one-to-one exercise assessments and exercise programmes that take account of their individual choices. This is one of the recommendations in an updated Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guideline on cardiac rehabilitation published recently.

Online Speech Therapy Can Be as Effective as In-Person Treatment

Rehabilitation services delivered over the Internet and through other telecommunication networks allow health care professionals to reach more patients in need, but there has been some concern that so-called telerehabilitation doesn’t offer the same quality of care as in-person treatment.

Now a new study by Canadian researchers at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care shows there is no need to worry.

The findings, published in the journal Aphasiology, show that stroke patients who received speech language therapy over the Internet saw significant improvements in their communication skills, similar to those of patients receiving in-person treatment.