Rehab Continuum Report 2003-04-01

Rehab field starting to open eyes to problem of visually impaired

Interest is growing in a relatively new field in rehab: providing help for visually impaired patients. But experts in the field say low vision rehab programs arent growing nearly fast enough to come to the aid of the estimated 14 million Americans who have vision problems not correctable by standard glasses, contact lenses, medicine, or surgery.

Tips for starting a visual rehab program

Focus on vision for all rehab patients

Providing low vision rehab services can greatly enhance patients daily lives, from helping them find what they need at the grocery store to seeing pictures of grandchildren. But attention to vision can also lead to better outcomes in the rest of your rehab program.

Standardized orders, new therapy hours mean profit

Rehab staff members at St. Francis Hospital in Greenville, SC, havent looked at the inpatient prospective payment system (PPS) as an onerous task. Instead, theyve treated PPS as an opportunity to become more efficient, productive, and profitable.

Half of orthopedic trauma patients experience PTSD

Ever seen an orthopedic patient with great X-rays who still complains of terrible pain and cant get back to work? If youve ever faced this puzzling situation, researchers at the University of Texas might have the answer for you: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Good posture can reduce musculoskeletal problems

Good posture is important because it facilitates the best functioning of the musculoskeletal system, says Scott Bautch, DC, past president of the Occupational Health Council for the Arlington, VA-based American Chiropractic Association (ACA) and a practicing chiropractor in Wausau, WI. Muscles, ligaments, vertebrae, disks, and nerves are meant to be in good posture, he says.

Find out why people stay and not why they leave

Most of health care these days seems to be about problem-solving figuring out what is wrong with a patient, a process, or a system and fixing it. This is a negative way of viewing things, says Kathleen Davis, RN, MBA, vice president of hospital and nursing services for the Lovelace Health System in Albuquerque, NM. Take nurse retention, she says. Everyone is focused on why people are leaving, not why they stay.

Use benchmarking to improve performance

When considering opportunities to improve financial performance, benchmarking may not immediately come to mind, but health care managers who have used benchmarking techniques to enhance the fiscal well-being of their institutions have found it to be invaluable.

News Brief

News Briefs

Rehab Continuum Report Archives – April 1, 2003

April 1, 2003