Research Spotlight: General Rehabilitation (Friday)-Session Presentation

Video Transcription
Video Summary
In the first presentation, Dr. Derek Bui from UCLA presented a comparison between in-person and telemedicine visits for ordering MRI lumbar spine for radicular symptoms. The study found that there was a minimal difference in ordering frequency between the two visit types, suggesting that telemedicine is a reasonable alternative for evaluating low back pain with radicular symptoms. However, the study had limitations, such as a disproportionate sample size and the need for separate categories to fully evaluate differences in ordering frequency for telemedicine visits. In the second presentation, Dr. Dan Nguyen from Mountain View Medical Center discussed a retrospective analysis of inpatient falls to evaluate national trends and risk factors using data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. The study found that inpatient falls slightly increased from 2012 to 2014. The most significant risk factor for falls was a previous fall or injury, indicating a 4.2 times higher risk of experiencing a fall during admission. Other risk factors included mental and nervous system disorders. The study will continue to explore quality improvement initiatives and interventions to reduce falls and improve patient outcomes. In the third presentation, Dr. Radhika Mohn from the University of Pennsylvania presented a case series on barriers and motivators to breast cancer-related lymphedema self-management programs. The study found that strong compliance with the self-management program was motivated by the desire to improve symptoms and reduce burden on loved ones. On the other hand, poor compliance was influenced by pain, lack of motivation, insurance delays, and discomfort from compression garments. Additional visits with lymphedema therapists and telehealth visits with cancer physiatrists were identified as resources that could improve compliance. The study suggests that ongoing discussions with healthcare providers and addressing barriers to compliance can optimize lymphedema management. In the final presentation, Dr. Oksana Witt from Virginia Commonwealth University discussed outcomes associated with concomitant lower limb amputation in individuals with major upper limb amputation. The study looked at pain, prosthesis satisfaction, quality of life, and independence in individuals with upper limb amputation only versus those with concomitant lower limb amputation. The study found that phantom pain was lower in the group with concomitant lower limb amputation, but there were no significant differences in non-phantom pain outcomes or measures of disability, quality of life, and independence between the two groups. The findings provide insight into the functional outcomes of individuals with concomitant upper and lower limb amputations.
Keywords
telemedicine visits
MRI lumbar spine
inpatient falls
breast cancer-related lymphedema
lower limb amputation
upper limb amputation