The purpose of this scoping review was to describe how three tenants of patient-centered care provision: communication, partnership, and health promotion are addressed in patient-centered care models/frameworks across the literature. A scoping review of literature published in English since 1990 was conducted using Medline, CINAHL, and EMBASE. A key term search strategy was employed using “patient-centered care”, “client-centered care”, “framework” and “model” to identify relevant studies. Application of the search strategy resulted in a hit total of 101 articles. Nineteen articles met inclusion criteria, of which 12 were review articles; 5 were qualitative research papers; one was a randomized control trial; and one was a prospective study. From these articles, 25 different patient-centered care frameworks/models were identified. The fact that all identified approaches to patient-centered care incorporated strategies to achieve effective communication, partnership, and health promotion indicates that clinicians can select a patient-centered approach from the literature that best suits their patient’s needs, and be confident that it will satisfy the three core elements of patient-centered care provision. While empirical literature on specific patient-centric frameworks and models was limited, much empiric evidence was sourced for the most consistently defined component of patient-centered care, communication.

Objective: To determine the effects of resistance exercise on function, fatigue, and quality of life in individuals with ALS.

Purpose: To examine the psychometric properties of six outcome measures in people with Parkinson disease (PD). Method: Twenty-four participants completed the following twice within 2 weeks: the timed up-and-go test (TUG), Northwestern University Disability Scale (NUDS), Schwab & England ADL Scale (S&E), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, PD Questionnaire—Short Form (PDQ 8), and Stanford Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale (SSE). Internal consistency, test–retest reliability (ICC[3,1]), and minimal detectable change (MDC) scores were calculated. Convergent and discriminant validity of the ABC were examined. Results: Cronbach's alpha scores for the NUDS, ABC, PDQ-8, and SSE were 0.47, 0.92, 0.72, and 0.91 respectively. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC[3,1]) for the TUG was 0.69 and could be improved by averaging two trials. ICCs for the NUDS, S&E, ABC, PDQ-8, and SSE were 0.56, 0.70, 0.79, 0.82, and 0.72 respectively. The ABC correlated with the TUG (r=−0.44, p=0.03) and with PDQ-8 (r_s=0.51, p=0.01) and NUDS (r_s=0.48, p=0.02) walking items. The ABC was able to discriminate between stages 1 and 3 of disease progression but not between stages 1 and 2, which suggests that the ABC can distinguish large differences in disease progression but cannot detect more subtle differences. Conclusions: Homogeneity of the ABC, PDQ-8, and SSE is good to excellent. Test–retest reliability scores of all measures except the NUDS are moderate to good. The ABC is a valid measure for use in PD. The MDC statistic may be useful for interpreting group score changes.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, neurodegenerative, and inevitably fatal disease. There is no cure for ALS and life expectancy is typically 2–5 years after symptom onset. Despite the lack of a cure and the rapidly progressive nature of the disease, ALS is considered a “treatable disease” and rehabilitation is integral to optimal, comprehensive care. In addition to the other health care professions making up the health care team, physical therapy provides a critical role in the overall management in individuals with ALS. Physical therapy that is tailored to the individual’s needs and goals and focused on addressing symptoms and maximizing function and participation enables people with ALS to live their lives to the fullest and with quality. The purpose of this paper is to review some of the recent ALS research findings that have implications for physical therapy practice.

Many Americans are living longer and recent studies report that the majority of older adults wish to live as independently as possible in their own homes, for as long as possible. This creates a need for effective monitoring, and technology has much to offer. The purpose of this article is to provide a narrative review of current monitoring technology appropriate for older adults' home use. A review of current literature provides a comprehensive discussion of the development of this technology. In the past several years, advancements have been made in the area of monitoring the movement and activity of older adults in their home environment. This technology may benefit older individuals by assisting them to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible. Unobtrusive monitoring and wearable technology, which is clothing or accessories that incorporate computer or electronic technology, are rapidly expanding areas of development. Various applications of this technology may assist in falls detection and overall safety. In addition, continuous monitoring of an older adult's specific movements or activity can identify changes in day-to-day activity levels, which may indicate a change in medical status. Although many devices are still at the developmental stage, the future of this technology may offer older adults a level of increased safety and security in their homes.