Facilitating patient learning during medical rehabilitation - A research agenda

Although patient learning is widely acknowledged to be an integral part of many medical rehabilitation practices, it has been the subject of little sy stematic research. A workshop conducted August 18 to 19, 1997, was organize d by the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (National Inst itute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health) and several co-sponsoring organizations to formulate recommendations conce rning learning-oriented rehabilitation practices. The recommendations and t heir supporting rationale are summarized in the topic areas of motor learni ng and control, cognitive learning, recovery of functioning, generalization and transfer of training, and applications for patients with strokes, trau matic brain injury, amputations, and infants and children.