Development of physiotherapy guidance and treatment-based classifications for people with Huntington’s disease

Quinn, Lori, Busse, Monica and Sackley, Catherine (2012) Development of physiotherapy guidance and treatment-based classifications for people with Huntington’s disease. Neurodegenerative Disease Management, 2 (1). pp. 11-19. ISSN 1758-2024

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Abstract

Background: Physiotherapy may provide a means of delaying onset or progression of Huntington’s disease (HD), resulting in improved daily functioning and quality of life. Physiotherapy is being more frequently recommended for people with HD, but there have been no specific guidelines published for implementation of a structured physiotherapy program. The Physiotherapy Working Group (PWG) of the European Huntington’s Disease Network (EHDN) set out to develop a comprehensive Guidance Document for physiotherapists to provide best practice guidelines. Methods: A review of the literature was conducted using a systematic approach. There was insufficient literature in support of physiotherapy interventions and approaches to be able to conduct a complete evidenced-based review, therefore, physiotherapy expert subgroups were formed to incorporate consensus as to best practice. A draft document was distributed to the entire membership of the working group, to outside physiotherapists and other healthcare professionals within EHDN to elicit feedback and comments. Results: A Guidance Document covering eight specific areas pertaining to physiotherapy management of HD was developed. In order to facilitate the document’s practical usability among clinicians, a treatment-based classification system is proposed to categorize patients based on presenting signs and symptoms, and provide a foundation for development of a more standardized intervention approach. Discussion: The Physiotherapy Guidance for HD is a comprehensive, consensus- and evidence-based document that can be used by physiotherapists to implement a plan of care that is currently consistent with best practice for individuals at all stages of HD. As evidence becomes available, future systematic reviews will be required in order to inform further development. The use of treatment-based classifications, which aim to better categorize common signs and symptoms and link them to appropriate intervention plans, may be useful in relatively rare diseases, such as HD, to aid clinical reasoning and promote effective outcome evaluation.

Item Type:	Article
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > School of Rehabilitation Sciences (former - to 2014)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Rehabilitation
Depositing User:	Catherine Sackley
Date Deposited:	05 Sep 2013 04:06
Last Modified:	20 Jun 2023 14:39
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/41004
DOI:	10.2217/nmt.11.67

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