Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation articles from September 2006

Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation archives from September 2006

Foreword.
September 22, 2006... For some folks, ethics is the "squishy" part of medicine--nebulous, academic (but not scientific), and ultimately not very helpful. For others (like me), it is the heart and soul of what we do. I see moral dimensions in almost every act of...

Ethical issues in research with patients who have experienced stroke.
September 22, 2006... There are a myriad of ethical issues surrounding inclusion of persons who have had strokes into clinical research. Assessment of decision-making capacity is especially challenging as stroke can impair communication such that the patient...

Ethics, family caregivers, and stroke.
September 22, 2006... Even though stroke caregivers provide valuable care to loved ones, often sacrificing their own life goals and sometimes their health, they are frequently viewed by stroke professionals as irritants or problems. Medical training and medical...

Ethical issues in the management of dysphagia after stroke.
September 22, 2006... When patients have severe dysphagia after a stroke, tube feeding may be recommended to reduce the risks associated with malnutrition, dehydration, and/or aspiration. Patients may not be able to participate in decision making, but they may...

The cognitive, emotional, and social sequelae of stroke: psychological and ethical concerns in post-stroke adaptation.
September 22, 2006... In the clinical domain, ethical analyses involve examination of complex individual responses, psychological processes, and social context. Psychological aspects of stroke adaptation include the risk for depression and anxiety, changes in...

Failure to achieve assent in a communicative patient: what are the caregiver's obligations?
September 22, 2006... Disclosure of facts related to an individual's health care, including level and location of care, are central to the fulfillment of informed consent. When an individual is unable to provide informed consent because they lack the...

Is informed consent a "yes or no" response? Enhancing the shared decision-making process for persons with aphasia.
September 22, 2006... Respect for patient autonomy and the need to have a comprehensive discussion of the risks and benefits of a medical intervention are two important issues involved in the process of obtaining informed consent. In dealing with individuals with...

Ethical issues involving the right hemisphere stroke patient: to treat or not to treat?(Disease/Disorder overview)
September 22, 2006... The management of patients with right hemisphere damage (RHD) presents a challenge to the allied health clinician. In addition to impairments in specific cognitive areas, some patients may not be aware of the presence or extent of their...

Complexities in decision making for persons with disabilities nearing end of life.
September 22, 2006... Good end-of-life care requires that clinicians, families, and ethicists be aware of biases that influence patient cases, particularly in the acute care setting where the aim is primarily cure and return to optimal functional level. Persons...

Abandoning the Golden Rule: the problem with "putting ourselves in the patient's place".
September 22, 2006... A large body of evidence documents the difficulties health care professionals have in predicting their patient's beliefs or wishes. These difficulties extend from the predictions of very specific patient wishes (such as for life-sustaining...

Consensus panel guidelines for the use of intrathecal baclofen therapy in poststroke spastic hypertonia.(Grand Rounds)
September 22, 2006... Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy has been increasingly employed for the management of poststroke spastic hypertonia, a complication that can lead to deformity, discomfort, and exacerbation of motor impairments. Because its use in stroke is...

Long-term changes in participation after stroke.(Grand Rounds)
September 22, 2006... Background and purpose: People who have had a stroke may have difficulty resuming some of their previous activities, which leads to a decline in their participation in daily activities and social roles. The purposes of this study were to...

Stroke care in long-term care facilities in Southwestern Ontario.(Grand Rounds)
September 22, 2006... Purpose: This study describes the current state of stroke care and rehabilitation in facility-based long-term care (LTC). Method: LTC representatives, community partners (including physiotherapists and occupational therapists), stroke...