In 2019, Early Intensive Neurorehabilitation (EIN) became reimbursed standard care for all DOC patients in the Netherlands. The EIN programme is provided by one designated expert rehabilitation center, and forms the starting point of the long rehabilitation and care for this group. The aim of this study is to set up a registry and to systematically investigate the short and long-term outcomes of patients with DOC who receive EIN.
It is a nationwide single-centre prospective cohort study with a 2-year follow-up period. Patients with DOC due to acute brain injury who receive EIN, aged ≥ 16 years are included. Measurements take place at the start of EIN, at weeks 5, 10, at discharge of the EIN programme (maximal duration 14 weeks) and at weeks 28, 40, 52, and 104 after admission to the EIN programme. Outcome measures are the recovery rate and timing of recovery using the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; the frequency and type of medical complications; the mortality rate; the level of disability (motor, cognitive, behavioural and emotional functioning); participation; quality of life, self-efficacy of caregivers, caregivers’ strain and cost-effectiveness of the program.
The inclusion of patients started in April 2019 and will end in April 2023.
As of September 2020, 46 patients are included in the programme.
Key Points:
- A nationwide registry has been created to monitor patients receiving early intensive neurorehabilitation.
- A set of clinical outcomes are measured at several timepoints from the start of the programme up to 2 years after enrolment.
- 46 patients have been already enrolled, and inclusion will continue until April 2023.
References:
Netherlands Trial Register, NL 8138 https://www.eennacoma.net/onderzoek-libra