Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation
A formal written record generated when a physiatrist or rehabilitation specialist is requested to evaluate and advise on a patient's rehabilitation needs.
Full Definition
A Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation is a document type produced when a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation assesses a patient, typically during acute hospitalisation or pre-discharge planning. It addresses functional prognosis, goal setting, equipment recommendations, and transition-of-care planning. In editorial terms, it should be distinguished from a general medical consultation note, as it often contains standardised outcome measure scores and interdisciplinary recommendations. The document may be titled 'Physiatry Consult Note' in North American settings or 'Rehabilitation Specialist Referral Report' in other contexts. Editors should preserve the specialist's recommendations verbatim and note that functional status descriptors have specific clinical meanings.
Usage
Usage note: Capitalise when referring to the document type by its full title. Do not abbreviate to 'rehab consult' in formal published texts.
In Context
- "The Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation recommended inpatient transfer to a level-one rehabilitation facility within 72 hours." — Acute hospital consultation document
- "Copy-editors were instructed to retain clinical abbreviations within the Rehabilitation Medicine Consultation without expanding them." — Editorial style guide