Journal Club: A Core Set of Neurological Outcome Measures

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We all know that outcome measures are so essential in today’s physical therapy practice. We’ve discussed some orthopedic outcome measures on this blog before to equip you in your practice. Those outcomes were directed at the outpatient sports medicine practitioners. Today, I want to share a great study for the outpatient neuro practitioners.

It is just as vitally important for you, as a neuro therapist, to have a set of highly reliable and valid measures to not only track potential progress but also document decrease in decline. In other words, sometimes the outcome measure will show you that your interventions are working because the patient is not getting worse.

So with that in mind, this article discusses a core set of outcome measures for adults with neurologic conditions. The researchers combed through many different types of outcomes for the neurological population and essentially did analysis to identify a set, or grouping, that will give you really good functional data.

A Core Set of Neuro Outcome Measures

I hope you use some of these already in your practice. If you do, I hope you begin to use this subset as a means to better quantify the progress or lack of decline your patients are experiencing with your interventions. If you are not using any of these outcome measures, I encourage you to get started this week!

***Check out the new book "Rehab the World" written for Physical Therapists to encourage us in our workplace and prepare us to serve those around us. If you like, please leave a review and spread the word!!***

Jason

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