Treatment Teams: Roles and Goals

The term acute care rehabilitation describes the continuum of rehabilitation care in the acute care hospital after illness or injury. Ideal management of persons with neurologic injury in the acute hospital requires a shared understanding of impairments, functional status, and disability by physicians, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, case management, and other allied health professionals. Skilled acute care rehabilitation led by physiatrists prepares patients with acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury for transition to the most appropriate post-acute care setting. This chapter will explore the role of the acute care interdisciplinary treatment team and its impact on systems of care for the rehabilitation of persons with neurologic disabilities in the acute care setting.