Scoping review of the person-centered literature in adult physical rehabilitation

Abstract

Purpose

To describe the amount, range, and key characteristics (e.g., publication years, methods, topics) of the person-centered rehabilitation literature in adults with physical impairments.

Method

Following the published scoping review protocol, papers were identified through: three major databases, snowball searches and expert consultation. Two independent reviewers have identified English-language papers on adult person-centered rehabilitation according to six pre-defined inclusion categories – theoretical, quantitative and qualitive research papers are included; and then have extracted their key characteristics (e.g., aims, methods, participants). Descriptive statistics, regression and content analyses were used to synthesize the results.

Results

Of 5912 deduplicated records initially screened, 170 papers were included: 136 empirical, including 13 systematic reviews. Empirical papers had data from 15264 clients and 4098 providers, in total. Yearly publications grew significantly from 2009 to 2018 (r² = 0.71; b = 1.98: p < 0.01). Publications were unevenly distributed by countries (e.g., United States’ publications per population was 44 times lower than New Zealand’s). Most papers focused in more than one profession, setting-type or health conditions. Finally, many empirical papers (n = 67) studied implementation of person-centered rehabilitation approaches, including its effect.

Conclusion

This scoping review synthesizes key characteristics and publication trends in the person-centered rehabilitation literature on adults with physical impairments, a growing but unchartered territory thus far. This large and diverse body of literature can ground further person-centered rehabilitation practices and research, including toward building a transdisciplinary, trans-service model of person-centered rehabilitation.

Implications for rehabilitation

• The person-centered rehabilitation literature on adults with physical impairments, especially the empirical one, has been growing significantly over time, despite inequitably distributed per countries.

• Rehabilitation stakeholders, including practitioners, have a growing amount of literature in which they can rely for the operationalization and implementation of person-centered rehabilitation approaches into routine practice.

• Based on our work, person-centered rehabilitation emerges as a practice requirement that cuts across professional and other rehabilitation silos.

Keywords:

• Rehabilitation
• review
• patient-centered care
• review literature as topic
• publications
• disabled persons

Acknowledgements

We thank the five international experts (Alice Ørts Hansen, Jacinta Douglas, Mathew Hunt, Laura Moll, and William Levack) who willingly contributed their suggestions for additional references. We also thank the Oakland University’s students Colby Gillette and Maggie Sera, Rochester, Michigan, USA, who volunteered their time to help locate and obtain the full-texts for this review.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.