Tips for GP trainees working in rehabilitation medicine

摘要

At the interface between hospital and community-based medicine, rehabilitation medicine delivers multidisciplinary assessment and treatment for adults with complex disabilities arising from acute events such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, spinal-cord injury, complex trauma, or amputation. Rehabilitation medicine practitioners also manage disability related to long-term conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, and other neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. Patients present with a wide range of problems, including physical, cognitive, behavioural, and communicative difficulties. Rather than focusing on just the medical problem, rehabilitation medicine aims to reduce the impact of the disease or injury on the patient's quality of life. This requires a holistic approach with the collaboration of the individual, their friends and family, and a large team of health and social care professionals. An inpatient stay will include a thorough assessment of a patient's problems, followed by a structured programme, based around individualised, patient-centred goals.