| Abstract: |
Background: For stroke patients, there is a wide array of interventions that aim to improve functional capacity within self-care activities. Researchers have been interested in what types of treatment approaches are best for this population, specifically whether functional or remedial interventions are superior.
Objective: To conduct a systematic review of studies in order to compare the evidence base for functional and remedial intervention in self-care rehabilitation for stroke patients.
Search Strategies: Studies were found by searching electronic databases (AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, OTSeeker, Cochrane Database, Web of Science, Zetoc, Bandolier) using the following key words and Boolean operators: Cerebro Vascular Accident AND Rehabilitation Occupational Therapy AND Treatment Outcome OR Activities of Daily Living. Additionally, a number of studies were found from reference lists.
Search Criteria: Studies that met the following criteria were included in this review: (1) concerned with occupational therapy for self-care in stroke rehabilitation, (2) published between 1993 and present, (3) primary or secondary research, (4) written in English, (5) carried out in a hospital environment, (6) accessible in given time frame for study.
Data Collection and Analysis: Taylor’s tool for EBP in occupational therapy was used to critique articles. The critique process yielded themes.
Main Results: Eleven articles relating to either functional interventions or remedial interventions were included for review. The authors analyzed the studies, comparing the two approaches. They also, summarized the study findings for the wide assortment of interventions found in the review.
Conclusions: With the exception of one study, all studies found that functional interventions were more beneficial than remedial interventions. Additionally, evidence points out that efficacy of an intervention is linked to how well patients elicit meaning and purpose from any given approach. |
