Public policy issues in geriatric rehabilitation

As geriatric rehabilitation confronts major changes in health care funding, investigators and practitioners must identify and validate best practices in the field. Consistent, convincing outcomes research is lacking in several important areas of practice. Lack of scientific support for geriatric rehabilitation approaches is a common criticism at present, and may further jeopardize the availability of reimbursement in the future. It is, therefore, essential that geriatric rehabilitation investigators follow the lead of such influential groups as the Institute of Medicine and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in developing and defining a public policy-oriented research agenda.