700 Section - Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients Evaluated by a Transitional Rehabilitation Consultation Team in a Middle-Income Country

Objectives : To describe the clinical profile, care pathways, and assistive technology needs of patients evaluated by the Physiatry Consultation Service at a Transitional Care Unit over a 6-month period. The aim was to identify patterns of diagnoses, discharge destinations, and rehabilitation needs that may guide resource allocation, improve continuity of care, and support the development of integrated post-acute rehabilitation strategies.

Design: This was a descriptive observational study using routinely collected clinical data from all patients assessed by the Physiatry Consultation Service between January 1 and June 30, 2025. Variables included demographics, primary clinical classification, discharge outcomes, and prescribed assistive technologies. Data were analyzed using simple frequency distributions to generate a demand-oriented profile of the population served.

Results:

A total of 198 patients were evaluated (50.5% male; mean age 55.8 years). The most frequent macroprocesses were acquired brain injury (56.9%), spinal cord injury (14.7%), orthopedic conditions (8.8%), and neuromuscular or neurodegenerative disorders (6.9%). Discharge destinations included home (60.8%), transfer to specialized inpatient rehabilitation facilities (17.6%), outpatient tertiary rehabilitation referrals (11.8%), return to the emergency department (6.9%), long-term care facilities (2.0%), and death (1%).

Assistive technologies were prescribed to 76.5% of patients. The most common were bathing chairs (54.9%), lower-limb orthoses (28.4%), wheelchairs of low/medium complexity (27.4%), high-complexity wheelchairs (25.4%), upper-limb orthoses (18.2%), and walking aids (19.2%). No spinal orthoses were prescribed during the period.

Conclusion: This analysis highlights a predominantly neurorehabilitation-oriented caseload with high dependence on assistive technologies and substantial variability in discharge pathways. The predominance of acquired brain injury reinforces the need for structured rehabilitation planning and optimized transitions of care. These findings may support institutional planning, inform resource allocation, and guide future quality-improvement initiatives aimed at strengthening post-acute rehabilitation services and continuity of care in transitional settings.