Primary objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that group rehabilitation is more effective than individual treatments and provides an improvement in clinical outcomes similar to that achieved by individual treatments alone.
Research design: Two groups of patients were placed in different rehabilitation settings treated using the same rehabilitation approach. One received only individual treatments and the second group received a combination of both individual and group treatments. The independent variables were measured both pre- and post-treatment and compared between the two groups.
Methods and procedures: Seventy-four patients treated with a comprehensive rehabilitation approach were divided into two groups: (a) individual treatment only and, (b) combined treatments (both individual and group). The outcome scales were LCF (Rancho Los Amigos Level of Cognitive Functioning), DRS (Disability Rating Scale) and FIM™ (Functional Independence Measure).
Results: The whole sample had obtained statistically significant improvements in all of the outcome scales: LCF (χ(2) = 45.26; p < 0.001), DRS (z = -3.92; p < 0.001) and FIM (z = -4.9; p < 0.001). The comparison between groups did not reveal any pre-treatment difference. Analysis of post-treatment, however, showed a greater improvement in the FIM scale for those in combined individual and group treatment (z = -0.2544, p = 0.01).
Conclusions: Group rehabilitation integrated with individual treatments is more effective than individual treatments alone in improving independence measured by the FIM™ scale. Both groups had obtained statistically significant clinical improvements, the improvement in the FIM™ scale was significantly better in the combined treatment group.
Keywords: Head injury; neuropsychological; outcome; rehabilitation.