Initiatives in rehabilitation research.

Federal funding of rehabilitation research depends on how much that research is valued, both within the physical therapy profession and among the external groups and individuals who have a stake in the research outcomes. To help advance rehabilitation research, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) forges partnerships, coalitions, and collaborations for advocacy, awareness, and legislative action; promotes the appointment of physical therapists to federal panels; and fosters infrastructure and research capacity building. To further cement the physical therapy profession's relationship with policymakers, APTA also is identifying health policy questions.

Partnerships, Coalitions, and Collaborations for Advocacy and Awareness and Infrastructure and Research Capacity Building

On June 29, 2005, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPMR) hosted a meeting of 20 provider and patient groups interested in rehabilitation research, including the Brain Injury Association of America, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the Association of Academic Physiatrists, the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics, the American Therapeutic Recreation Association, the American Heart Association, and the American Stroke Association. The meeting was called to discuss the level of interest these groups might have in an initiative to establish an independent center for rehabilitation research in the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The groups decided to go forward with an assessment of the legislative viability of such a center.

As proposed, the independent center would function in a similar fashion to the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR), but the head of the new center would report directly to the NIH Director, and the center would have an independent line item appropriation in the NIH budget.

The line item appropriation would be an essential feature of the new center. The NCMRR budget is $65 million, which is discretionary funding under the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD) line item. Under the current structure, the most that APTA can do is submit report language (nonbinding language that accompanies legislation and requests Congress to report on an issue or item by a certain date) to support specific funding initiatives in NCMRR. An independent center with an independent budget line item would allow APTA to lobby for specific funding for rehabilitation research.

As noted below, APTA (in partnership with AAPMR) has secured report language on rehabilitation research for the second year in a row. This success has generated interest and awareness in developing the independent center, especially as reauthorization of NIH is currently scheduled in Congress. APTA and AAPMR will lead this initiative and will collaborate on visits to Congress and health care agencies.

Partnerships, Coalitions, and Collaborations for Legislative Action

On June 24, 2005, the labor and health care appropriations bill passed the House of Representatives, containing appropriations report language that was submitted by APTA and AAPMR. The language, which directs NICHD to focus on musculoskeletal conditions and rehabilitation, will need to be part of the Senate bill or the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2006. Although no specific funding was dedicated to this focus on musculoskeletal conditions, the report language, if included in the final bill, should result in increased awareness of and funding for musculoskeletal research.

Questions about APTA's initiatives in rehabilitation research may be directed to [e-mail].