NRH is dedicated to implementing initiatives that probe new rehabilitative interventions and address the health and rehabilitative needs of persons with disabilities.

High tech. High touch. Both are critical to quality medical care. And both approaches are under constant scrutiny. In the latest issue of the NRH Research Update, you will find technology at the core of much research – everything from robotics to electrical neuromuscular stimulation. There’s no doubt that technological innovations dramatically improve accuracy and speed of evaluation of injury and disease, enhance delivery of rehabilitative care, and increase quality of life. At NRH, our Assistive Technology Research Center works in partnership with NRH researchers to foster the development of better, more efficacious and useful technology.

It is also true that connecting human beings to one another is an increasingly important component to successful rehabilitation. The longproven value of patient navigation and peer mentoring are merging in rehabilitation – and NRH is on the cutting edge of proving their effectiveness. Patient navigation first emerged in the care of cancer patients, where outcomes greatly improved when patients had an advocate to guide them through treatment and recovery. The concept has been adopted elsewhere, but NRH is among the first rehabilitation facilities to prove its value in both spinal cord injury and stroke.

In stroke rehabilitation research, NRH is providing a wealth of critical information to improve outcomes for the millions of people who suffer stroke every year. Collaboration is an important ingredient to the success of these studies and we are delighted to work with our partners at Georgetown University, the Washington Hospital Center and the National Institutes of Health. In this Update, we feature five of these studies, which are aimed at improving patient assessment and at creating a system of care to help stroke patients maintain independence and health throughout their lives.

Download the Fall 2007 issue of Research Update
from the Christoph Ruesch Research Center

If you would like us to mail you a copy of this publication, please call the NRH Communications & Development Office at 202.877.1776 or write to us at 102 Irving St NW Washington DC 20010.