Rehabilitation for cerebral palsy: Analysis of the Australian rehabilitation outcome dataset

Objective: To examine the outcome of inpatient rehabilitation for cerebral palsy (CP), using the Australian Rehabilitation Outcomes Center (AROC) database. Materials and Methods: De-identified data from the AROC database was analyzed for all rehabilitation admissions during 2003 - 2008, using four classes for the functional level. The outcomes included: Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores, FIM efficiency, hospital length of stay (LOS), and discharge destination. Results: Of 141 case episodes 56.7% were female, mean age 48.5 years, 87.2% were discharged to the community and 64.5% (n = 91) were in the lowest functional classes (217, 218, and 219). The majority of CP patients were treated in the public hospital system (66.7% versus 33.3%), and had a slightly longer LOS compared with those treated in private facilities (22.6 versus 17.9 days, mean difference -4.7 days, 95% CI -9.2 to -0.2, P = 0.041). The FIM for all classes (216 -218) showed significant functional improvement during the admission (P = 0.001). As expected those in the most functionally impaired classes showed most change (FIM change: 16.6 in class 217, 15.3 in class 218). FIM efficiency was the highest in classes 217 compared to the other classes. The year-to-year trend demonstrated a mixed pattern for hospital LOS and was not significant (P = 0.492). Conclusion: The AROC dataset is a valuable research tool for describing rehabilitation outcomes. However, more specific information needs to be collected alongside the core AROC data, to allow a more meaningful evaluation of outcomes for CP rehabilitation.