Rehabilitation length of stay and functional improvement among patients with traumatic spinal cord injury

Model System:

SCI

Reference Type:

Journal article

Accession No.:

J89882

Journal:

Spinal Cord (formerly Paraplegia)

Year, Volume, Issue, Page(s):

2022 , 60, 3, 237-244

Publication Website:

Abstract:

Study investigated the relationship between rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) and the Functional Independence Measure motor (mFIM) score between rehabilitation admission and discharge among patients with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). Data were analyzed for 3,386 patients with traumatic SCI enrolled in the SCI Model Systems Database from 2011 to 2018. The main outcome measure was the mean change in mFIM between rehabilitation admission and discharge across 12 neurological categories: C1-C4 American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale (AIS) A-B, AIS C, AIS D; C5-C8 AIS A-B, AIS C, AIS D; T1-T10 AIS A-B, AIS C, AIS D; and T11-S3 AIS A-B, C, D. Linear regression models were applied to estimate changes across rehabilitation LOS groups (shortest LOS, quarter 2, quarter 3, and longest LOS) after adjusting for covariables for each neurological category. The mean age of study patients was 44.5 years. Patients were predominantly men (78.5 percent), non-Hispanic white (64.8 percent), and had private insurance (57.1 percent). The median LOS was 42 days across the entire sample. Longer LOS was associated with a higher mFIM score compared to the shortest LOS among patients with C1–C4 AIS D, C5-C8 AIS D, T1–T10 AIS A–B, and T11-S3 AIS A–B, C, and D after adjusting for demographics and clinical characteristics. Findings suggest that those with longer rehabilitation stays tended to have more motor function improvement.

Author(s):