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PubMed2005

Racial disparities in outcomes of inpatient stroke rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether race is associated with outcomes of inpatient stroke rehabilitation. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: A community-based inpatient rehabilitation facility. PARTICIPANTS: Poststroke patients (N=1002) admitted to a community-based inpatient rehabilitation facility between 1995 and 2001. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Functional improvement at discharge from the rehabilitation facility, discharge disposition, and functional improvement at 3 months after discharge. Inpatient and follow-up data were collected from the facility's electronic patient database. We used the FIM instrument to assess functional status at admission, discharge, and follow-up. RESULTS: In multivariable models, blacks achieved less functional improvement at discharge (-1.9 FIM points, P=.02) compared with whites and, despite worse FIM scores, were more likely to be discharged to home (adjusted odds ratio=1.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-2.5). Although Asian-American patients did not differ from whites in terms of functional improvement at discharge or disposition, they had less improvement at 3 months following discharge (-6.3 FIM points, P=.005). CONCLUSIONS: We identified racial disparities in poststroke outcomes in a community-based inpatient rehabilitation facility. Future research in stroke rehabilitation should explore the consistency of these findings across settings and if they are confirmed, identify explanatory mediators to better inform efforts to eliminate racial disparities.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

A comparison of stroke rehabilitation practice and outcomes between New Zealand and United States facilities.

UNLABELLED: McNaughton H, DeJong G, Smout RJ, Melvin JL, Brandstater M. A comparison of stroke rehabilitation practice and outcomes between New Zealand and United States facilities. OBJECTIVE: To compare stroke rehabilitation practice and outcomes between New Zealand (NZ) and the United States. DESIGN: Prospective observational cohort study. SETTING: Seven inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in the United States and NZ. PARTICIPANTS: Consecutive convenience sample of 1161 patients in 6 U.S. IRFs and 130 in 1 NZ IRF (age, >18 y) after acute stroke. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Change in FIM score and discharge destination. RESULTS: NZ participants were older than U.S. participants (mean: 74.1 y vs 66.0 y, respectively; P<.001). Measures of initial stroke severity were higher for U.S. participants. Mean rehabilitation length of stay (LOS) was shorter for U.S. participants (18.6d vs 30.0 d, P<.001), but physical and occupational therapy time per patient was considerably higher despite the shorter LOS. U.S. therapists were involved in more active therapies for more of the time. Outcomes were better for U.S. participants, with fewer discharged to institutional care (13.2% vs 21.5%, P=.006) and larger changes in FIM scores. CONCLUSIONS: U.S. participants with acute stroke who were selected for rehabilitation had better outcomes than NZ participants, despite shorter stays in the rehabilitation facility. U.S. participants had more intensive input from physiotherapists and occupational therapists, which may explain some of the larger increases in FIM scores. This suggests that further studies with tighter controls on case mix may add additional information on the effects of therapy intensity on patients with stroke.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Inpatient rehabilitation of patients requiring hemodialysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcomes of patients who require hemodialysis and are admitted to an inpatient rehabilitation unit. DESIGN: Retrospective review of the data of all admissions to an inpatient rehabilitation unit in 2001. SETTING: University medical center. PARTICIPANTS: All inpatient rehabilitation admissions in 2001 (N=531), including 497 patients who did not require hemodialysis and 34 who required hemodialysis. INTERVENTION: A comprehensive rehabilitation program including physical therapy and occupational therapy. Speech and language therapy and rehabilitation psychology were provided when necessary. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Length of stay (LOS), change in total score on the FIM instrument, FIM efficiency, and place of discharge. RESULTS: Admission and discharge FIM scores of the patients requiring hemodialysis were virtually identical to those of the other patients admitted to the unit. The average LOS of the hemodialysis patients was 5.4 days longer than that of the other patients, and, therefore, efficiency scores of the dialysis group were less than those of the other patients. The rate of discharge to the community did not differ significantly for the dialysis group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who require hemodialysis can benefit from rehabilitation services. Their improvement on the FIM instrument is comparable to that of other patients, but their LOS may be longer than that of other patients.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Systematic review of economic evidence on stroke rehabilitation services.

OBJECTIVES: Given the resource-intensive nature of stroke rehabilitation, it is important that services be delivered in an evidence-based and cost-efficient manner. The objective of this review was to assess the evidence on the relative cost or cost-effectiveness of three rehabilitation services after stroke: stroke unit care versus care on another hospital ward, early supported discharge (ESD) services versus "usual care," and community or home-based rehabilitation versus "usual care." METHODS: A systematic literature review of cost analyses or economic evaluations was performed. Study characteristics and results (including mean total cost per patient) were summarized. The level of evidence concerning relative cost or cost-effectiveness for each service type was determined qualitatively. RESULTS: Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria: three on stroke unit care, eight on ESD services, and four on community-based rehabilitation. All were classified as cost-consequences analysis or cost analysis. The time horizon was generally short (1 year or less). The comparators and the scope of costs varied between studies. CONCLUSIONS: There was "some" evidence that the mean total cost per patient of rehabilitation in a stroke unit is comparable to care provided in another hospital ward. There is "moderate" evidence that ESD services provide care at modestly lower total costs than usual care for stroke patients with mild or moderate disability. There was "insufficient" evidence concerning the cost of community-based rehabilitation compared with usual care. Several methodological problems were encountered when analyzing the economic evidence.

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗
PubMed2002

The role of the nurse within the multi-professional rehabilitation team.

UNLABELLED: AIM OF THE STUDY/PAPER: To identify the contribution of the nurse within the multi-professional rehabilitation team. BACKGROUND: The requirement for nurses to work effectively within the multi-professional rehabilitation team is increasingly important with the higher incidence of chronic disease, growing numbers of older people and enhanced survival from major trauma. METHODS: A 2-year qualitative investigation was undertaken centred on three contrasting condition case studies (fractured neck of femur, rheumatoid arthritis and stroke). Clients were theoretically sampled, with their 'rehabilitation pathway' through different services providing the window through which the nurse's contribution was explored. Multiple methods and points of data collection were used, including observation, face to face interviews (clients, carers and staff) and record review. To enhance generalisability, a series of national expert workshops were undertaken with four groups: users, carers and carers' organizations; nurses; members of the multi-professional team; and educationalists. FINDINGS: Six interlinked roles for the nurse were identified: assessment, co-ordination and communication, technical and physical care, therapy integration and therapy carry-on, emotional support, and involving the family. Of particular significance is the creation of a supportive environment for rehabilitation to occur. Some nurses undertook aspects of all of these roles at any one time while others were only involved in one or two areas. While nurses expressed a desire to integrate therapy into their care delivery, the actual achievement of this goal was variable. CONCLUSIONS: Key elements of the nurse's contribution within rehabilitation should aim to maximize client choice to enhance independent living in the client's future environment. At a nursing educational policy level the nurse needs to have a full understanding of the principles and models of rehabilitation. At a practice level, the nurse's role must be valued and recognized, by nurses themselves and other team members.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Short term results of outpatient vs. inpatient rehabilitation after stroke].

Fifty stroke patients who had already regained basic ADL-functions were investigated at the beginning and end of either inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation of similar therapeutic intensity in the same institution. For geographic reasons, outpatient treatment could only be offered to a subgroup of patients. Neurological deficits, extended ADL-functions and quality of life (SF-36) were assessed. Patients who chose outpatient rehabilitation exhibited milder neurological deficits and better ADL-function at onset. On average, outpatient rehabilitation took about 8 days more than inpatient treatment. Under rehabilitation, gains with respect to ADL-functions and the QoL-dimensions "physical role function" and "physical functional ability" were realized. The magnitude of changes did not depend on setting. A decrease in "general health perception" may be related to the inpatient treatment of patients who would have preferred an outpatient setting. Brief periods between stroke and onset of rehabilitation and longer duration of rehabilitation treatment were significantly associated with better outcome with respect to ADL-functions.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2002

[Therapy goal setting in patients with psychological stress in orthopaedic and cardiac rehabilitation].

OBJECTIVES: To study goal-setting for patients with psychological stress in orthopaedic and cardiac rehabilitation centres. DESIGN: A questionnaire assessing patients' somatic, functional and psychosocial status ("IRES"-questionnaire) was administered to 3109 patients with musculoskeletal diseases and 1670 patients with cardiovascular diseases from a total of 26 rehabilitation centres at their admission and discharge. For all patients, physicians filled in the "Physician's Sheet" ("Arztbogen") that assesses patient-specific goals of therapy. RESULTS: Nearly 50 % of the patients suffered from psychological stress at their admission. Of the patients with high psychological stress (higher than in 90 % of the general population) only 11.1 % (musculoskeletal diseases) and 3.4 % (cardiovascular diseases) were diagnosed as having a mental disorder (ICD-10 diagnosis in the range of F00 - F99). High psychological stress reported by patients themselves is associated with only a small increase of goal setting in psychological therapy documented in the "Physician's Sheet". The most important factors that influence the predefinition of psychological goals of therapy are high multimorbidity, an ICD-10 diagnosis in the range of F00 - F99, low age, high motivation for rehabilitation and being a woman. However, statistically significant differences between rehabilitation centres in the predefinition of psychological goals of therapy were detected. It can be assumed that differences in concepts of therapy are responsible for this finding. CONCLUSION: The results show that physicians use the patient's self-assessments of their psychological stress only to a small extent while planning psychosocial interventions and care. The predefinition of goals in a context of "forced" consideration of patients self-assessments leads to a higher degree of consistency between patients' judgements and goal settings. It also shows a slightly higher predictive power for rehabilitation effects than the predefinition of goals of therapy without noticing patients' self-assessments. This demonstrates the usefulness of a patient-centred screening instrument for psychological stress in orthopaedic and cardiac rehabilitation.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

[Problematic consumption of addictive drugs in psychiatric rehabilitation].

OBJECTIVE: Is an inferior outcome of psychiatric rehabilitation to be expected with patients who consume alcohol or addictive drugs in a problematic manner during rehabilitation treatment? METHOD: Files and final reports from patients admitted to psychiatric rehabilitation during three successive years were analyzed. Data of patients with or without problematic use of psychotropic substances were compared. RESULTS: Patients with a problematic pattern of alcohol or drug consumption have a stronger propensity to quit psychiatric rehabilitation when a) using hard drugs or when b) bearing a diagnosis beyond the schizophrenia spectrum. The outcome of rehabilitation efforts of the subsample with a problematic use of drugs shows an unfavorable tendency concerning housing, but a better result in the vocational area. CONCLUSIONS: The problem has to be considered in a differenciated manner, which means that, in general, clients with a problematic use of alcohol or drugs should not automatically be excluded from psychiatric rehabilitation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The work of rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: To describe three years of activity of a rehabilitation unit and to make comparisons between clients who receive different levels of active rehabilitation. METHOD: A retrospective study set in an inpatient rehabilitation facility located in Dunedin, New Zealand, examining 874 inpatient admissions over three financial years (2000--2002). Outcome measures include Functional Independence Scores (FIM) at admission and discharge, length of stay, weekly gains in FIM scores, and changes in FIM sub-scores. RESULTS: Assessment and rehabilitation patients made significant FIM gains in comparison to assessment only and social relief (respite care) patients. Assessment and rehabilitation patients showed greater gains in the Physical dimensions of the FIM in comparison to the Cognitive although this is probably a function of different scaling. Floor and ceiling effects were not present in the FIM. CONCLUSIONS: The interdisciplinary rehabilitation program brings about real functional and cognitive gains in a range of patients as measured with the FIM. This adds to the considerable body of research which documents FIM gains and further provides evidence that physical and cognitive gains differ.

Brain Diseases↗
PubMed2006

The system for medical rehabilitation in Croatia.

PURPOSE: To describe the framework for medical rehabilitation in Croatia and to discuss its influence on the practice of the specialty. METHODS: Collection, analysis and interpretation of data pertaining to the need for medical rehabilitation in the country and to its elements of structure, process and outcome of care. RESULTS: The practice of medical rehabilitation in Croatia has evolved without strategic planning on the national level and therefore without a designed system. This lack in the present framework causes shortcomings in all three elements of rehabilitation care and impedes the advancement of the specialty. CONCLUSION: Medical rehabilitation in Croatia needs a national strategic plan for a three-level system that incorporates inpatient, outpatient and community-based rehabilitation.

Croatia↗
PubMed2002

Using a harm reduction approach with clients who have alcohol/drug dependencies in a spinal cord rehabilitation program.

BACKGROUND: Dissatisfied with the frequently adversarial nature of relationships with clients who use alcohol or drugs while rehabilitation inpatients, and the often less than optimal outcomes for these individuals, the Spinal Cord Program at the G.F. Strong Rehabilitation Center in Vancouver, BC, decided to pilot a new approach. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the pilot project is to promote successful rehabilitation, including less conflict in rehabilitation, a completed rehabilitation program, and continued connection after discharge if needed. METHOD: A dedicated team was formed and trained to work with these clients using harm reduction principles. PARTICIPANTS: From its inception in December 2000, through May 2001, the team worked with 6 inpatients, 12% of admissions to the Spinal Cord Program during that period. RESULTS: Outcomes based on the above goals have been positive. There have been no discharges against a client's will or instances of significant conflict with the team. Several clients have returned to the center for assistance or to visit post-discharge. Only 1 client left rehabilitation prematurely.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed2006

Impact of early vs delayed admission to rehabilitation on functional outcomes in persons with stroke.

OBJECTIVE: Delayed admission to rehabilitation may result in poorer outcomes by reducing exposure to therapeutic interventions at a time when the brain is primed for neurological recovery. The present study examined the effects of early vs delayed admission on functional outcome and length of stay in patients admitted to a rehabilitation unit for first-ever unilateral stroke. DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. METHODS: Differences in length of rehabilitation stay and functional outcome variables among 435 patients, grouped by interval from stroke event to rehabilitation admission (=30 days vs 31-150 days and 5 additional subgroups) were examined using a multivariate technique. RESULTS: Admission and discharge FIM scores, FIM change and FIM efficiency were significantly higher among early admission patients (p<0.01), while length of stay was significantly longer among delayed admission patients (p<0.01). A significant association was identified between age and admission (p<0.01) and discharge FIM (p<0.01) scores as well as FIM change scores (p=0.017). Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in FIM scores, FIM change and length of stay between groups of patients admitted 0-15 and 16-30 days (p<0.01) and between patients admitted 16-30 days and 31-60 days post-stroke (p<0.01). No significant differences were noted between patients admitted from 31-60 and 61-90 or 61-90 and 91-150 days. CONCLUSION: Patients admitted to stroke rehabilitation within 30 days of first-ever, unilateral stroke experienced greater functional gains and shorter lengths of stay than those whose admission to rehabilitation was delayed beyond 30 days.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Quality of care for urinary incontinence in a rehabilitation setting for patients with stroke. Simultaneous monitoring of process and outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To study the quality of care provided for patients with urinary incontinence following a stroke, by monitoring both process and outcome elements of care simultaneously. DESIGN: Prospective follow-up of patients (of all ages and of both sexes) with urinary incontinence that appeared following a stroke who were admitted for rehabilitation during a six 6-month period. SETTING: A ward for stroke rehabilitation in The Loewenstein Hospital-Rehabilitation Centre in Raanana, Israel. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with stroke and urinary incontinence (mean age 61 years, 68% men) were included in the study; 84% of the 37 patients were discharged, although only 25% of them were continent. No lasting complications of urinary incontinence developed and there was no interference with rehabilitation activities. There was a correlation between incontinence and low score of Functional Independence Measure (FIM) on admission, being higher on discharge in those who became continent than in those who did not. CONCLUSIONS: Ward staff are aware of the potential problem of incontinence in patients with stroke. The problem is identified on admission and accorded adequate attention and care with satisfactory outcomes. The approach of monitoring process and outcome elements of care simultaneously in conditions that, during inpatient rehabilitation of patients with stroke, may endanger life, interfere with rehabilitation and delay functional recovery, could be a useful way to assess and improve the quality of care.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1991

Research in physical medicine and rehabilitation. XII. Measurement tools with application to brain injury.

There are basic principles and techniques of measurement that are relevant across biomedical disciplines. The purpose of this article is to explain some of the most important of these for medical rehabilitation, to illustrate how to use them to choose assessment instruments and to describe the nature of measurement in medical rehabilitation by examples in brain injury rehabilitation. Reliability is basic to any scientific measure. Validity, the ultimate criterion, is closely associated with the purpose of the measure. Content validity, criterion validity and construct validity are explained. Sensitivity to rehabilitative interventions and significance in patients' real lives (ecological validity) are emphasized. Measures of functional outcomes (disability) may show improvement after rehabilitation even when impairment measures do not. An extensive but selected list of measures of coma, global status, disabilities, communicative and cognitive impairments, and handicaps is presented, and their main uses are illustrated. Examples illustrate how to choose measures to study comprehensive program-level outcomes, to study learning-based interventions and to develop a general purpose database. Although there are many measures of activities of daily living and mobility, little published evidence of reliability and validity could be found even for some well-known scales. Ecologically valid and sensitive outcome measures are especially needed. Studies of the clinical utility of measures were also scarce. Many of these gaps can be spanned by clinical researchers with limited resources. Physical medicine and rehabilitation will benefit from formal studies of the reliabilities and validities of both its old and its new measurement instruments and by increased sophistication in choice of measures.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on dyspnea, quality of life, and healthcare costs in California.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated pulmonary rehabilitation as practiced in the general California medical community to determine its effectiveness in improving dyspnea and health-related quality of life and reducing the use of healthcare resources. METHODS: For this study, 10 established pulmonary rehabilitation programs agreed to collect common clinical health outcome data on consecutive patients over 2 years. The following three self-administered questionnaires were obtained before and after rehabilitation, then at 3-, 6-, 12-, and 18-month follow-up assessments: Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form (SF-36), University of California, San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire (SOBQ), and Health Care Utilization in the preceding 3 months. Information also was collected on patient demographics, diagnostic categories, use of supplemental oxygen, and available spirometry and 6-minute walk tests. RESULTS: Nine centers enrolled 647 patients that met prespecified inclusion criteria. Of these, 521 completed the rehabilitation program and both the pre- and the postprogram assessment. At least two of the four follow-up assessments were completed by 415 patients in eight centers. The mean age of the patients was 68 years, and 42% were men. Overall, the forced expiratory volume in 1 second was 44% of the predicted value. There were few significant differences between the centers. The baseline outcome measures demonstrated marked symptoms, as evidenced by the mean SOBQ score (56.8) and the mean impaired quality of life results (SF-36 physical component score, 31.2; SF-36 mental component score, 47.5). These measures also showed high utilization of healthcare services over the preceding 3 months in terms of mean hospital stay (2.4 days), urgent care visits (0.4), physician visits (4.4), and telephone calls (2.7). After rehabilitation, there were significant improvements in symptoms and quality of life in all the centers, as evidence by mean changes of -6.8 for the SOBQ, 7.5 for the physical component score, and 3.9 for the mental component score). Over 18 months, benefits gradually declined, but levels remained above baseline values. There also were significant reductions in all measures of healthcare utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary rehabilitation was effective in improving symptoms and quality of life and reducing the utilization of healthcare resources over 18 months. The results were consistent across participating centers despite variations in practice settings, patient referral patterns, and program structure.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

Allocation and preference of patients for domiciliary or institutional rehabilitation after a stroke.

On discharge from an acute-care hospital after a stroke, 191 patients were told that they needed rehabilitation and were offered the option of receiving care in an institution or in their homes. One hundred and one (52.4%) patients chose an institution and 91 (47.6%) preferred rehabilitation in their own home. A higher number of women than men chose to be rehabilitated at home. Multivariate logistic regression showed that odds for being included in the home rehabilitation group were higher for women and for those who had a stroke in the past. Odds for being included in the institutional rehabilitation group were individuals with diabetes and difficulty in ambulating and those who had a longer stay in the acute-care hospital. Findings of the study suggest that in Israel there is a sub-population of acute stroke survivors who may be appropriate for rehabilitation at home and accept the option when they are offered it.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Racial/ethnic differences in FIM scores and length of stay for underinsured patients undergoing stroke inpatient rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore racial/ethnic differences in FIM data from admission to discharge in underinsured patients undergoing inpatient stroke rehabilitation. DESIGN: This is a retrospective analysis of the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation (UDSMR) database of an inpatient rehabilitation unit of a county hospital in a large urban city. Data included 171 adult patients admitted to the stroke rehabilitation unit between January 2000 and October 2003. Main outcome measures included admission and discharge total FIM score, FIM gain, FIM efficiency, and length of stay (LOS). Data were analyzed using chi analyses, t tests, univariate analysis of variance, binary logistic regression, and hierarchical multiple regression. RESULTS: Data from 68 Hispanic, 83 black, and 20 white patients were included in the study. Univariate tests revealed that race/ethnicity groups differed significantly on admission FIM score (F=5.38, P<0.005), FIM gain (F=4.35, P<0.014), and FIM efficiency (F=3.42, P<0.035). Post hoc pairwise comparisons revealed that Hispanics had lower admission FIM scores than blacks (58.9 vs. 68.9). However, Hispanics had higher FIM gain scores than blacks (26.8 vs. 21.5). Race/ethnicity was not significantly related to age, gender, side of stroke, type of stroke, time from onset of stroke to rehabilitation admission, discharge FIM score, or LOS. Multiple regression analyses revealed that after controlling for all other available factors, race/ethnicity accounted for a significant amount of additional variance in admission FIM score (5.8%) and FIM efficiency (4.6%), but not in discharge FIM score, FIM gain, or LOS. Race/ethnicity was not predictive of discharge disposition. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in functional independence at admission to poststroke rehabilitation and the average daily improvement in function are related, in part, to patients' race/ethnicity. Differences in change in functional independence from admission to discharge (FIM gain) are not related to race/ethnicity once other factors, particularly admission FIM score, are taken into account. Future studies should identify reasons why Hispanics have lower admission FIM scores because demographic and stroke-related variables were not related to ethnicity yet have outcomes similar to blacks and whites at discharge.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

Total direct cost, length of hospital stay, institutional discharges and their determinants from rehabilitation settings in stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: Length of hospital stay (LOHS) is the largest determinant of direct cost for stroke care. Institutional discharges (acute care and nursing homes) from rehabilitation settings add to the direct cost. It is important to identify potentially preventable medical and non-medical reasons determining LOHS and institutional discharges to reduce the direct cost of stroke care. AIM: The aim of the study was to ascertain the total direct cost, LOHS, frequency of institutional discharges and their determinants from rehabilitation settings. METHODOLOGY: Observational study was conducted on 200 stroke patients in two rehabilitation settings. The patients were examined for various socio-demographic, neurological and clinical variables upon admission to the rehabilitation hospitals. Information on total direct cost and medical complications during hospitalization were also recorded. The outcome variables measured were total direct cost, LOHS and discharges to institutions (acute care and nursing home facility) and their determinants. RESULTS: The mean and median LOHS in our study were 34 days (SD = 18) and 32 days respectively. LOHS and the cost of hospital stay were significantly correlated. The significant variables associated with LOHS on multiple linear regression analysis were: (i) severe functional impairment/functional dependence Barthel Index < or = 50, (ii) medical complications, (iii) first time stroke, (iv) unplanned discharges and (v) discharges to nursing homes. Of the stroke patients 19.5% had institutional discharges (22 to acute care and 17 to nursing homes). On multivariate analysis the significant predictors of discharges to institutions from rehabilitation hospitals were medical complications (OR = 4.37; 95% CI 1.01-12.53) and severe functional impairment/functional dependence. (OR = 5.90, 95% CI 2.32-14.98). CONCLUSION: Length of hospital stay and discharges to institutions from rehabilitation settings are significantly determined by medical complications. Importance of adhering to clinical pathway/protocol for stroke care is further discussed.

Adult↗