| This non-experimental telephone survey design study compared patient adherence to an occupational therapy home exercise program and the amount of time the patient had been discharged from an inpatient rehabilitation unit, and the number of patients that reported the home exercise program to be meaningful and/or purposeful. Specifically, the outcome measures being investigated were the percent of patient adherence to an occupational therapy home exercise program per week, and adherence percentage to the totality of the home exercise program. In addition, the outcome measures of meaningfulness, purposefulness, and satisfaction as rated by the patient were scrutinized.;The subjects in this non-experimental study included patients who had received inpatient occupational therapy services and were currently either 2 weeks or 3 weeks discharged from the inpatient rehabilitation setting. Forty-four subjects consented for inclusion in this study, 33 subjects responded to the survey, and 20 subjects answered the questions specific to the occupational therapy home exercise program. Because the sample size is small, the results can not be generalized to the total population.;A significant difference was discovered between percentage of weekly completion of the home exercise program and the 2-week and 3-week post discharge groups. The 3-week group showed an 80% mean completion rate of the weekly occupational therapy home exercise program as compared to the 52% mean weekly completion rate of the 2-week group. Additional research on broader and larger populations is needed in the area of patient adherence in occupational therapy home exercise programs, and their meaning and purpose. |
