JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Pelvic fractures lead to disability and a poor health-related quality of life, thereby contributing to the burden of disease in SA. Rehabilitation plays an important role in improving the functional outcomes in patients with pelvic fractures. However, there is limited published research that presents optimal interventions and guidelines to improve outcomes in the affected individuals. Objectives: Examine and map the range of strategies and approaches used by healthcare professionals globally, in the management and rehabilitation of both in- and outpatients with pelvic fractures. Methodology: The synthesis of evidence will follow the framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley and supported by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The identification of research questions; the identification of relevant studies; the selection of eligible studies; charting data; collating, summarising and reporting of results; and consultation with relevant stakeholders will be undertaken. The strategies and approaches used by healthcare professionals globally, in the management and rehabilitation of adult patients with pelvic fractures, as well as the challenges and outcomes, will be examined, and gaps in the literature will be identified. Articles on associated injuries; impairments; disabilities in patients with pelvic fractures; outcome measurements used; home programmes; and advice and education given will be included. Peer reviewed articles written in English, from quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods studies, from Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed and Cochrane Library will be considered. Rayyan software will be used for title and abstract screening to determine inclusion in the study and to improve collaboration between the reviewers. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), version 2018, will be utilised to appraise the quality of the studies. Conclusions The rehabilitation needs of patients with pelvic fractures will be drawn from this review and will be presented in a flow diagram. Approaches and strategies for the management and rehabilitation of patients with pelvic fractures will be identified, in order to guide healthcare professionals in the promotion of quality healthcare for these patients.

Objective:

To determine the rehabilitation approaches and strategies integrated in the management of adult patients with pelvic fractures.

Methods:

This study protocol follows the reporting guidelines provided in the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols (PRISMA-P) statement [12], and the PRISMA extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) (registration number: osf.io/f9w3z). It will review the literature on rehabilitation approaches and strategies in the management of adult patients following pelvic fractures. This review will be guided by the methodological framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley.

Results:

The data extracted from the studies will be guided by the research questions and sub-questions, including evidence that exists on the rehabilitation approaches; interventions and strategies for each impairment; and activity limitations and participation restrictions in adult patients with pelvic fractures. The extracted data will be summarised in the final write-up using a thematic analysis with flexibility in the capturing of data, as in the scoping review. The results will be interpreted and described according to the research question and sub-questions.

Conclusions:

The aim of this scoping review is to identify and describe the strategies and interventions that are being used by healthcare professionals (HCP) in the treatment, management and rehabilitation of adult patients who present with pelvic fractures. The rehabilitation needs of patients with pelvic fractures will be extracted in this review and will be presented in a flow diagram. This study might be used to inform HCP of the important aspects to be included in the assessment, management and rehabilitation of patients with pelvic fractures. This scoping review is the first phase of a study which seeks to develop an inter-professional model of care for patients with pelvic fractures. Clinical Trial: ETHICAL CLEARANCE & PERMISSIONS OBTAINED FROM: UKZN (HSSREC/00001434/2020), UP (606/2020), NDoH (NDoH_202008_011) & PDoH (GP_202012_032) and Hospital CEOs.