Effects of liaison between physiotherapists and occupational therapists for home-visit rehabilitation: preliminary study

[Purpose] Home-visit rehabilitation is used to restructure patients’ home lives and involves comprehensive intervention. In Japan, liaison between physiotherapists and occupational therapists occurs, but impact of this cooperation is unclear. The present study aimed to investigate therapeutic efficacy of this liaison. [Participants and Methods] The study used a cross-sectional design. Participants were community-dwelling older adults who required long-term care and were receiving home-visit rehabilitation provided in the Chubu region. They were divided into a single-intervention group with either physiotherapy or occupational therapy alone, and a liaison-intervention group with therapy coordinated between the 2 professions. In addition to basic information, the Barthel Index, Frenchay Activities Index, Health Utility Index Mark 3, and subjective health assessments were evaluated. [Results] Eighteen participants were recruited. No significant differences were observed between groups for the Barthel Index, whereas the total Frenchay Activities Index score and items of the Frenchay Activities Index (outdoor domestic chores and outdoor activities) were significantly higher in the liaison-intervention group. The emotion item in the Health Utility Index Mark 3 and subjective health assessments were also significantly higher in the liaison-intervention group. [Conclusion] These findings suggest that this liaison is effective for improving activities of daily living and increasing quality of life. This is probably due to each therapist performing a specialized intervention and professional cooperation.