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Prolonged hospitalization contributes to a decline in physical function and immobilization. This narrative review aims to explore physical rehabilitation approaches that address the specific characteristics of physical dysfunction in patients with schizophrenia. A literature review was conducted following an electronic search of PubMed for English-language articles published between January 2014 and January 2025. Based on the findings, a framework was constructed to categorize symptoms and physical challenges into three domains: (1) movement disorders and obesity induced by antipsychotic medications, which alter motor performance and lead to compensatory movements; (2) negative symptoms and cognitive impairments, which promote sedentary behavior and result in dysphagia, dynapenia, sarcopenia, and frailty; and (3) accelerated brain aging and disuse syndrome by schizophrenia, which impair neuromotor and cognitive function and increases the risk of physical dependency. These interconnected factors emphasize the need for targeted physical rehabilitation to maintain independence and reduce the risk of hospitalization. This review proposes a multidisciplinary approach involving psychiatrists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists, along with individualized nutritional support, as essential components of comprehensive rehabilitation strategies aimed at improving physical outcomes and reducing early mortality in this population.

Person-centered care emphasizes shared decision-making and a holistic approach to support patient autonomy. This scoping review aimed to clarify the definitions and approaches of person-centered physical rehabilitation (PCPR) that satisfy patients with schizophrenia and to identify specific methods to increase their satisfaction. Methods: This scoping review was conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institute and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. The studies were screened, the data were extracted, and the findings were charted. Results: PCPR is an individually optimized rehabilitation approach that is centered around the “person” and is aimed at supporting the entire life of the individual, while respecting their values and wishes. This approach emphasizes the importance of patients actively participating in their own treatment and enhancing their self-management abilities rather than relying solely on medical techniques. PCPR involves empowering patients, particularly patients with schizophrenia; establishing comprehensive rehabilitation plans; and adopting flexible responses. Conclusions: Effective PCPR enhances healthcare providers’ moral sensitivity and ability to manage complex needs, thereby improving patient satisfaction and motivation to join physical rehabilitation. Furthermore, to conduct PCPR for patients with schizophrenia effectively, it is crucial to provide not only physical rehabilitation, but also appropriate psychosocial support, and to promote the establishment and maintenance of healthy lifestyle habits.

In recent years, Japan has experienced numerous natural disasters, such as typhoons and earthquakes. Teleoperated ground robots (including construction equipment) are effective tools for restoration work at disaster sites and other locations that are dangerous and inaccessible to humans. Using visual information obtained from various viewpoints by a drone can allow for more effective remote control of a teleoperated ground robot, making it easier for the robot to perform a task. We previously proposed and developed a remote-controlled drone system using only human eyes. However, the effectiveness of using this drone system during the remote control of a robot has never been verified. In this paper, as the first step in verifying the effectiveness of the remote-controlled drone system using only the eyes when remote-controlling a robot, we consider its effectiveness in a simple task based on the task times, subjects’ eye fatigue, and subjective evaluations of subjects. First, the previously proposed drone system is briefly described. Next, we describe an experiment in which a drone was controlled by the eyes using the drone system while a robot was controlled by hand, and an experiment in which both the drone and robot were controlled by hand without using the drone system. Based on the experimental results, we evaluate the effectiveness of the remote-controlled drone system using only the eyes when remote-controlling a robot.

The rising prevalence of physical comorbidities among patients with mental illness has increased the relevance of physical rehabilitation within psychiatric care. However, specific physical rehabilitation practices in specialized psychiatric hospitals in Japan remain insufficiently documented. This exploratory and descriptive study aimed to characterize the rehabilitation content provided and to categorize patient characteristics and comorbidities in a single specialized psychiatric hospital using an expert-led consensus approach. Clinical data from 150 patients (median age 71.0 years) who received physical rehabilitation were retrospectively analyzed. Patient categorization was conducted through a multidisciplinary consensus-building process involving an expert panel of physical therapists, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, and nurses, each with over 10 years of clinical experience. Using a hierarchical rule set based on International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes and clinical referral data, five distinct categories were identified: Disuse Syndrome (41%), Neurologic Disorders (20%), Lower Limb Lesions (18%), Parkinson’s Syndrome (15%), and Upper Limb Lesions (6%). Across all categories, rehabilitation interventions focused on foundational motor therapies, such as range of motion (27%) and strength training (23%). Mobility-oriented interventions were selectively provided to patients with high bedridden status based on clinical potential. Overall, practices in this setting primarily targeted disuse syndrome and maintenance of basic motor function and were delivered with input from multiple professional disciplines; such practices may inform future research on structured multidisciplinary rehabilitative approaches, especially for aging psychiatric populations.

Technological advancements have led to the use of robots as prospective partners to complement understaffing and deliver effective care to patients. This article discusses relevant concepts on robots from the perspective of nursing theories and robotics in nursing and examines the distinctions between human beings and healthcare robots as partners and robot development examples and challenges. Robotics in nursing is an interdisciplinary discipline that studies methodologies, technologies, and ethics for developing robots that support and collaborate with physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers in practice. Robotics in nursing is geared toward learning the knowledge of robots for better nursing care, and for this purpose, it is also to propose the necessary robots and develop them in collaboration with engineers. Two points were highlighted regarding the use of robots in health care practice: issues of replacing humans because of human resource understaffing and concerns about robot capabilities to engage in nursing practice grounded in caring science. This article stresses that technology and artificial intelligence are useful and practical for patients. However, further research is required that considers what robotics in nursing means and the use of robotics in nursing.

Background/Objectives: Despite the increasing recognition of person-centered care (PCC), existing evaluation tools often have profession-specific limitations, lacking broad applicability across interdisciplinary contexts. This study aimed to develop and validate the Person-Centered Care Instrument (PCCI), designed to assess the competence of healthcare providers from diverse professions. Methods: Using a two-round modified Delphi technique, ten experts validated an initial pool of 63 items. The process assessed both face validity (overall appropriateness) and content validity using a 9-point Likert scale and the Item-level Content Validity Index (I-CVI). Items with a median rating of 6 or higher and an I-CVI of ≥0.70 were retained. Results: The final PCCI consists of 37 items, with a scale-level content validity index of 0.65. Three items achieved universal agreement among the experts (I-CVI = 1.0). For the final 37-item PCCI, the Scale-level Content Validity Index (S-CVI) was 0.65, and the index based on universal agreement was 0.22. Conclusions: The developed PCCI demonstrated good face and content validity, making it a valid and broadly applicable tool for assessing competence in delivering PCC. This instrument can support quality improvement initiatives and help promote a culture of empathy and respect in healthcare.

The awareness of care provided by stroke care unit (SCU) nurses in Japan to patients with an acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA) and the characteristic differences in their actual nursing practice were evaluated. A cross-sectional web-based questionnaire survey was administered to 1040 SCU nurses. Data collection and reporting procedures followed the STROBE Statement Checklist for cross-sectional studies. Exploratory factor analysis, using 52 observation items, identified eight factors with a factor loading > 0.4. For all factors, the actual practice was significantly lower than the awareness of the importance of nursing care for patients with acute CVA. Awareness and actual practice of recognition of patients’ physical changes (RPPCs) were high. The actual practice of RPPCs and preventing the worsening of acute stroke and related symptoms varied, depending on years of experience in acute phase stroke care. RPPCs in actual practice had a significantly higher score among certified nurses or certified nurse specialists. Their awareness of the importance of collaborating with therapists was low. On-the-job training can improve nurses’ competence and prevent worsening conditions in patients with CVA. An emphasis on enhancing practice experience toward patients with acute CVA and facilitating the deployment of certified nurses in SCUs can improve nursing care practice.

Background/Objectives: Integrating technology with caring is essential in modern healthcare, yet the clinical applicability of nursing theories remains underexplored. Locsin’s Technological Competency as Caring in Nursing (TCCN) theory emphasizes the competent use of technology to address patients holistically, rather than focusing solely on health concerns. Here, we explored the interpretive clarity of the TCCN Instrument–Revised for Practice (TCCNI-RePract) items and identified the conceptual barriers encountered by psychiatric nurses when engaging with its theoretical constructs. Methods: This concurrent mixed-methods study surveyed 291 psychiatric nurses across five large hospitals in the Kansai region of Japan. Quantitative data on the TCCNI-RePract perception dimension were examined using descriptive statistics and normality testing. Qualitative open-ended responses were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. To ensure rigor and integration, a joint display was utilized to bridge both data strands. Results: Quantitative findings indicated that nurses strongly endorsed core values of caring (high agreement) but perceived theoretical constructs (wholeness and technological knowing) as significantly more difficult to interpret than concrete, behavior-oriented items. Qualitative analysis revealed four major themes: (1) fragmented understanding of “technology and caring,” (2) struggles with abstract and philosophical language, (3) moral and emotional tensions in caring relationships, and (4) contextual barriers to integrating caring and technology. We found a “semantic gap,” where the professional endorsement of caring values was not automatically translated into the mastery of theoretical lexicon. Conclusions: While psychiatric nurses identify with the moral core of TCCN, a substantial gap exists between abstract theory and clinical practice. For effectiveness, middle-range theories require “clinical translation” that resonates with the moral, emotional, and organizational realities of psychiatric settings.

Patients with schizophrenia face high mortality from physical comorbidities; nonetheless, the gradual physiological decline preceding death is not well characterized. This retrospective study investigated temporal changes in key biomarkers among 64 inpatients with schizophrenia who died between 2014 and 2022. We analyzed data on body mass index (BMI), serum albumin (ALB), blood urea nitrogen/creatinine ratio (BCR), blood urea nitrogen/ALB ratio (BAR), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) collected at five time points: 3, 2, and 1 year, 6 months before death, and prior to death. We hypothesized that these markers would exhibit significant changes during the last 3 years of life. BMI and ALB significantly decreased, while BCR and BAR increased (all p < 0.001). This pattern was also noted in the pneumonia subgroup, the leading cause of death (47%). A high BCR concomitant with low eGFR was attributable to chronic kidney failure in only 6% of patients, suggesting the elevated ratio was mostly driven by non-renal factors such as dehydration or sarcopenia. Therefore, the concurrent decline in BMI and ALB and rise in BCR and BAR represent a pattern of terminal physiological decline among patients with schizophrenia, supporting the need for timely risk assessment.

Background/Objectives: With the increasing need for interprofessional team-based care, a practical framework is necessary to evaluate the caring competencies of healthcare providers. This study aimed to develop a refined, concise version of the Technological Competency as Caring in Healthcare Instrument (TCCHI) by: (1) reducing the items from the original 38-item Delphi-validated pool through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and (2) providing a preliminary assessment of its structural validity and reliability. Methods: An online survey was conducted with 528 healthcare professionals across Japan. The CFA process began with the 38 items identified in a previous Delphi study. To optimize model fit and ensure interprofessional applicability, items were systematically refined based on both statistical criteria and theoretical relevance, resulting in a 12-item, three-factor structure. Results: The final 12-item model demonstrated an improved and generally acceptable fit: chi-square to degrees of freedom ratio (χ2/df) = 3.96, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.947, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.931, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.0749. All factor loadings were statistically significant (p < 0.001) and ranged from 0.437 to 0.83. Composite reliability (CR) for the three factors ranged from 0.700 to 0.827, meeting the threshold for internal consistency. While average variance extracted (AVE) values for some factors were below 0.50, the overall model provided a stable and theoretically consistent structure, albeit as a preliminary psychometric refinement. Conclusions: This study provides preliminary evidence for the structural validity and reliability of a refined 12-item, three-factor TCCHI. By offering a concise measurement tool aligned with caring theory, the TCCHI has the potential to support interprofessional assessment, education, and professional development in technology-mediated healthcare environments. However, further research is required to address issues of discriminant validity and confirm measurement invariance across different professional groups.