Factors associated with patients' participation in rehabilitation services: a comparative injury analysis 12 months post-discharge

Purpose: To determine key characteristics or factors associated with rehabi litation participation during the first year following discharge for person s with either traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord injury (SCI), intra -articular fracture (IAF), or burn injury (BURNS). Method: Medical records and longitudinal survey [telephone questionnaire] d ata were collected for persons in the four injury groups and analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression procedures for each domain of factors. Results. The only significant predictors with odds ratios greater than one were those for vocational rehabilitation participation. TBI patients lackin g private insurance were 2.6 times more likely to participate in vocational rehabilitation; older SCI and TBI patients are about twice as likely to pa rticipate in vocational rehabilitation; and finally those with IAF or BURNS who are married at 12 months post discharge are 11.5 and 4.4 times respect ively more likely to participate in vocational rehabilitation. Conclusion : Those lacking valuable socio-economic resources, such as priva te insurance (for TBI) and social support systems provided by marriage (for BURNS and IAF patients) are much more likely to be referred to vocational rehabilitation. This is true for older SCI and TBI patients as well. Lackin g such resources, patients may be viewed by referral agents as less likely to benefit from in or outpatient rehabilitation.