THIS PROJECT IS A DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY TO DEFINE THE STAGES OF SEVERITY FOR SIX REHABILITATIVE CONDITIONS AND CONSTRUCT A CROSS-REFERENCE SYSTEM FOR THESE STAGED CONDITIONS WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC RELATED GROUPS.

THIS PROJECT IS A DEVELOPMENTAL STUDY TO DEFINE THE STAGES OF SEVERITY FOR SIX REHABILITATIVE CONDITIONS AND CONSTRUCT A CROSS-REFERENCE SYSTEM FOR THESE STAGED CONDITIONS WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC RELATED GROUPS. THE PROJECT SEEKS TO SUPPLY THE NECESSARY CONTENT AND PROTOCOL FOR PRODUCING AND DISSEMINATING A VALID TEACHING SYLLABUS TO ACCOMPANY THE NEW SYSTEM. THE METHOD WILL USE THE NOMINAL GROUP TECHNIQUE, WITH PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN MINNESOTA, TO GENERATE A FIRST-DRAFT DEFINITION OF FUNCTIONAL STATUS CRITERIA FOR EACH OF SIX REHAB CONDITIONS AND THEIR COROLLARY DRGS. A PANEL OF JUDGES WILL REVIEW AND RATIFY THE DRAFT. THIS, THEN, WILL BE DISTRIBUTED STATEWIDE FOR A VALIDATION BY PHYSICAL THERAPISTS WHO WILL USE IT AS A TOOL TO CLASSIFY PATIENTS. THEIR EXPERIENCE WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO A FINAL DRAFT AND COMPANION TEACHING PROTOCOL TO BE USED IN PHASE III. PHASE II WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE TEACHING MATERIALS AND PACKAGING OF THE SYSTEM TO BE MARKETED NATIONALLY. THE PACKAGE INCLUDES THE NEWLY DEVELOPED SYSTEM AND THE TEACHING MATERIAL FOR INSTITUTIONS TO TRAIN THEIR STAFFS TO USE THE SYSTEM. PHASE III WILL LOOK TO MARKETING THE SYSTEM BY BROWN, JENSEN AND GARLOFF, INC. THEIR STRATEGY WILL BE TO DIRECT PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, HOSPITALS AND STATEWIDE PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATIONS.