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Purpose
The aim of this study was to identify disease‐related aspects of functioning and disability in people with joint contractures from a health professionals' perspective and to describe the findings, using categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).
Design
An Internet‐based expert survey.
Methods
We asked international health professionals for typical problems in functioning and important contextual factors of individuals with joint contractures using an Internet‐based open‐ended questionnaire. All answers were linked to the ICF according to established rules. Absolute and relative frequencies of the linked ICF categories were reported.
Findings
Eighty experts named 1785 meaning units which could be linked to 256 ICF categories. Among the categories, 24.2% belonged to the component Body Functions, 20.7% to Body Structures, 36.3% to Activities and Participation, and 18.8% to Environmental Factors.
Conclusion
Health professionals addressed a large variety of functional problems and multifaceted aspects due to the symptom joint contractures.
Clinical Relevance
International health professionals reported a large variety of aspects of functioning and health, which are related to joint contractures
Background: Joint contractures are common problems in frail older people in nursing homes. Irrespective of the exact extent of older individuals in geriatric care settings living with joint contractures, they appear to be a relevant problem. Also, the new emphasis on the syndrome of joint contractures, e. g. by the German statutory long term care insurance, led to an increase in assessment and documentation efforts and preventive interventions in clinical care.
However, more attention should be paid to the actual situation of older individuals in nursing homes with prevalent joint contractures, particularly their experience of related activity limitations and participation restrictions.
Thus, the aim of this study is 1) to develop a tailored intervention to improve functioning, and especially participation and quality of life in older residents with joint contractures in nursing homes and 2) to test the feasibility of the intervention accompanied by a rigorous process evaluation.
Methods: The complex intervention, which will be developed in this project follows the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) framework and integrates the perspectives of all potentially relevant user groups, from the affected individuals to clinicians and researchers. The development process will comprise a systematic literature review, reanalysis of existing data and the integration of the knowledge of the affected individuals and experts.
The developed intervention including a comprehensive process evaluation will be pilot tested with residents with joint contractures in three nursing homes.
Discussion: The projected study will provide a tailored intervention to improve functioning, participation and quality of life in older residents with joint contractures in nursing homes. With this focus, the intervention will support patient relevant outcomes. The pilot study including process evaluation will offer a first opportunity to indicate the size of the intervention’s effect and prepare further studies.
Background
Joint contractures in nursing home residents limit the capacity to perform daily activities and restrict social participation. The purpose of this study was to develop a complex intervention to improve participation in nursing home residents with joint contractures.
Methods
The development followed the UK Medical Research Council framework using a mixed-methods design with re-analysis of existing interview data using a graphic modelling approach, group discussions with nursing home residents, systematic review of intervention studies, structured 2-day workshop with experts in geriatric, nursing, and rehabilitation, and group discussion with professionals in nursing homes.
Results
Graphic modelling identified restrictions in the use of transportation, walking within buildings, memory functions, and using the hands and arms as the central target points for the intervention. Seven group discussions with 33 residents revealed various aspects related to functioning and disability according the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health domains body functions, body structures, activities and participation, environmental factors, and personal factors. The systematic review included 17 studies with 992 participants: 16 randomised controlled trials and one controlled trial. The findings could not demonstrate any evidence in favour of an intervention. The structured 2-day expert workshop resulted in a variety of potential intervention components and implementation strategies. The group discussion with the professionals in nursing homes verified the feasibility of the components and the overall concept. The resulting intervention, Participation Enabling CAre in Nursing (PECAN), will be implemented during a 1-day workshop for nurses, a mentoring approach, and supportive material. The intervention addresses nurses and other staff, residents, their informal caregivers, therapists, and general practitioners.
Conclusions
In view of the absence of any robust evidence, the decision to use mixed methods and to closely involve both health professionals and residents proved to be an appropriate means to develop a complex intervention to improve participation of and quality of life in nursing home residents. We will now evaluate the PECAN intervention for its impact and feasibility in a pilot study in preparation for an evaluation of its effectiveness in a definitive trial.
Trial registration
German clinical trials register, reference number DRKS00010037 (12 February 2016).
Background: Joint contractures are a common health problem in older persons with significant impact on activities of daily living. We aimed to retrieve outcome measures applied in studies on older persons with joint contractures and to identify and categorise the concepts contained in these outcome measures using the ICF (International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health) as a reference.
Methods: Electronic searches of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Pedro and the Cochrane Library were conducted (1/2002-8/2012). We included studies in the geriatric rehabilitation and nursing home settings with participants aged ≥ 65 years and with acquired joint contractures. Two independent reviewers extracted the outcome measures and transferred them to concepts using predefined conceptual frameworks. Concepts were subsequently linked to the ICF categories.
Results: From the 1057 abstracts retrieved, 60 studies met the inclusion criteria. We identified 52 single outcome measures and 24 standardised assessment instruments. A total of 1353 concepts were revealed from the outcome measures; 96.2 % could be linked to 50 ICF categories in the 2nd level; 3.8 % were not categorised. Fourteen of the 50 categories (28 %) belonged to the component Body Functions, 4 (8 %) to the component Body Structures, 26 (52 %) to the component Activities and Participation, and 6 (12 %) to the component Environmental Factors.
Conclusions: The ICF is a valuable reference for identifying and quantifying the concepts of outcome measures on joint contractures in older people. The revealed ICF categories remain to be validated in populations with joint contractures in terms of clinical relevance and personal impact.
Background
Multimorbidity in the older population is well acknowledged to negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQL). Several studies have examined the independent effects of single diseases; however, little research has focused on interaction between diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of six self-reported major conditions and their combinations on HRQL measured by the EQ-5D.
Methods
The EQ-5D was administered in the population-based KORA-Age study of 4,565 Germans aged 65 years or older. A generalised additive regression model was used to assess the effects of chronic conditions on HRQL and to account for the nonlinear associations with age and body mass index (BMI). Disease interactions were identified by a forward variable selection method.
Results
The conditions with the greatest negative impact on the EQ-5D index were the history of a stroke (regression coefficient -11.3, p < 0.0001) and chronic bronchitis (regression coefficient -8.1, p < 0.0001). Patients with both diabetes and coronary disorders showed more impaired HRQL than could be expected from their separate effects (coefficient of interaction term -8.1, p < 0.0001). A synergistic effect on HRQL was also found for the combination of coronary disorders and stroke. The effect of BMI on the mean EQ-5D index was inverse U-shaped with a maximum at around 24.8 kg/m2.
Conclusions
There are important interactions between coronary problems, diabetes mellitus, and the history of a stroke that negatively affect HRQL in the older German population. Not only high but also low BMI is associated with impairments in health status.
Objective
Encouraging physical activity is an important public health measure to reduce disability prevalence in the aged. The aims of this study were to determine the association between midlife physical activity and late-life disability and to investigate gender-specific differences.
Method
This data originates from the KORA-Age cohort, a follow-up in 2008 of the MONICA (Multinational Monitoring of Trends and Determinants in Cardiovascular Diseases)/KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) S1–S4 surveys (1984–2001) situated in Augsburg, a city in Southern Germany. We applied a multivariable hurdle model to investigate the association of physical activity and disability.
Results
We analysed 3333 persons with a mean follow-up of 18 ± 5.5 years. Using hurdle models, moderate activity and high activity had a protective effect on the occurrence of disability (OR (odds ratio) = 0.80 and 0.73), but not on severity (i.e. number of limitations). We observed a strong gender-specific difference in this association, with men benefitting more from exercise.
Conclusion
Elevated physical activity reduces the risk of becoming disabled and postpones the onset of disability by several years, but we could not show an effect on the severity of disability. In addition, men seem to benefit more from leisure-time physical activity than women
Background
Multimorbidity in the older population is well acknowledged to negatively affect health-related quality of life (HRQL). Several studies have examined the independent effects of single diseases; however, little research has focused on interaction between diseases. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of six self-reported major conditions and their combinations on HRQL measured by the EQ-5D.
Methods
The EQ-5D was administered in the population-based KORA-Age study of 4,565 Germans aged 65 years or older. A generalised additive regression model was used to assess the effects of chronic conditions on HRQL and to account for the nonlinear associations with age and body mass index (BMI). Disease interactions were identified by a forward variable selection method.
Results
The conditions with the greatest negative impact on the EQ-5D index were the history of a stroke (regression coefficient -11.3, p < 0.0001) and chronic bronchitis (regression coefficient -8.1, p < 0.0001). Patients with both diabetes and coronary disorders showed more impaired HRQL than could be expected from their separate effects (coefficient of interaction term -8.1, p < 0.0001). A synergistic effect on HRQL was also found for the combination of coronary disorders and stroke. The effect of BMI on the mean EQ-5D index was inverse U-shaped with a maximum at around 24.8 kg/m2.
Conclusions
There are important interactions between coronary problems, diabetes mellitus, and the history of a stroke that negatively affect HRQL in the older German population. Not only high but also low BMI is associated with impairments in health status.
Symptom frequency and severity in vestibular disorders often do not correlate well with patients' restrictions of activities of daily living and limitations of participation.
Due to the lack of appropriate patient reported outcome measures (PRO), the extent of limitations and restrictions is mostly unknown. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a conceptual framework and classification to evaluate all aspects of health and disability. An ICF-based measure, the Vestibular and Participation Measure (VAP), was recently proposed.
Also, an ICF Core Set for vertigo, dizziness and balance disorders was developed to describe what aspects of functioning should be measured. This study protocol describes the development and cross-cultural validation of a new measure, the VAP-extended (VAP-e), based on VAP and ICF Core Set on three continents.
To determine objectivity and cross-cultural validity of the VAP and to find potentially redundant items, Rasch models will be used. The VAP-e will be created by modifying or adding items from the Activities and Participation and Environmental Factors component of the ICF Core Set. Reliability, objectivity and responsiveness of the VAP-e will be tested.
Objectives
The objective of this study was to assess the objectivity, cross-cultural validity, and convergent validity of the Vestibular Activities and Participation (VAP) questionnaire among four countries, Germany, United States, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Study Design and Setting
This was a cross-sectional study conducted in four specialized outpatient dizziness clinics in Germany, United States, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.
Results
A total of 453 participants were included in the study. The Rasch analysis revealed two separate subscales. Subscale 1 items included focusing attention, lying down, standing, bending, lifting and carrying objects, and sports. Subscale 2 items included walking long distances, climbing, running, moving around within buildings other than home, using transportation, and driving. The Pearson product–moment correlation between the Dizziness Handicap Inventory and the summary score of the VAP subscale 1 was 0.66 and was 0.64 for subscale 2.
Conclusion
Owing to its shortness and intercultural adaptability, the new two-scale version of the VAP questionnaire lends itself to clinical practice and research across countries to estimate the effect of vertigo and dizziness on activity limitation and participation restrictions. Psychometrically sound summary scores can be calculated. More extended versions of the VAP can be used for comprehensive clinical assessment where summary scores are not needed or a more detailed documentation is warranted.
Symptom frequency and severity in vestibular disorders often do not correlate well with patients' restrictions of activities of daily living and limitations of participation. Due to the lack of appropriate patient reported outcome measures (PRO), the extent of limitations and restrictions is mostly unknown.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a conceptual framework and classification to evaluate all aspects of health and disability. An ICF-based measure, the Vestibular and Participation Measure (VAP), was recently proposed. Also, an ICF Core Set for vertigo, dizziness and balance disorders was developed to describe what aspects of functioning should be measured.
This study protocol describes the development and cross-cultural validation of a new measure, the VAP-extended (VAP-e), based on VAP and ICF Core Set on three continents. To determine objectivity and cross-cultural validity of the VAP and to find potentially redundant items, Rasch models will be used. The VAP-e will be created by modifying or adding items from the Activities and Participation and Environmental Factors component of the ICF Core Set.
Reliability, objectivity and responsiveness of the VAP-e will be tested.