A taxonomy “group[s] phenomena or observations into categories that are objective, mutually exclusive, and useful in scientific inquiry.”18(p204) A typology (or classification) is the systematic distinguishing,

ordering, and naming of type groups within a particular area. Bailey19 notes that a typology is conceptual, an ordering of concepts that differ from one another along one or multiple axes or dimensions, whereas a taxonomy is an ordering of concrete cases or empirical entities. The terms typology, classification, and taxonomy are often used interchangeably. The term taxonomy easily reminds one of the ranked classifications Linnaeus created for the animal, vegetable, PI3K inhibitor buy Autophagy Compound Library and mineral kingdoms, but it should be mentioned that other ways of systematically grouping entities (including abstract entities) are feasible and may be more appropriate and flexible.20 A well-developed and validated taxonomy or typology of medical rehabilitation interventions (a rehabilitation treatment

taxonomy [RTT]), focused on the “active ingredients” hypothesized to carry treatment effects, would go far to advance the field.21 It would offer a basis for identifying each of the various treatments, procedures, practices, services, and approaches used by rehabilitation professionals. Identification of treatments ideally would be based on those characteristics of interventions that are relevant both theoretically and practically. That is to say, theories would specify the client/patient Florfenicol problems or deficits that could be addressed by identified treatments (with the “how” addressed by a known or hypothesized mechanism of action), and research or

systematic practice would show that clinically significant changes can be achieved without extraordinary resource expenditure. Characterization of treatments should be followed by quantification, which is a necessary step toward linking interventions to patient inputs and especially to outcomes.10 However, an RTT will have benefits beyond describing interventions and evaluating their impacts. It can be used for selecting treatments most likely to be successful for a particular patient, and for designing, implementing, and evaluating treatment programs. An RTT could have great utility for organizing existing knowledge for the benefit of students in preservice training programs, in designing systematic reviews of rehabilitation interventions research, and for otherwise organizing the knowledge base of the disciplines that constitute the rehabilitation team.10 Over 10 years ago, several members of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine agreed on a need for a rehabilitation taxonomy; a task force was constituted, which held various meetings to attract interested scholars, collect and distribute ideas, and so forth.