Article

This study aims to evaluate and predict outcome as part of routine quality
assessment of an inpatient stroke rehabilitation programme. By relating
functional outcome to patient characteristics, including variables from the
quality of life domain, we aim to find a set of variables that can be useful for
prognosis, stratification and programme improvement. Data were collected, before
and after rehabilitation, from a prospective quality registration database.
Included were 250 patients in inpatient stroke rehabilitation after sustaining a
first or recurrent ischemic or haemorrhagic stroke. Functional status was
measured with the Barthel Index and the Academic Medical Centre Linear Disability
Score. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL) was measured with the COOP/WONCA
and the Nottingham Health Profile. Significant improvements were found on all
outcome measures. A lower functional admission score, older age, more severe
stroke, more pain and more negative emotional reactions on admission were found
to be independent predictors of a lower outcome score, explaining 39.5% of its
variance. Subjective (HrQoL) factors such as negative emotion and pain have an
adverse effect on outcome of stroke rehabilitation, in addition to stroke
severity, age and functional status at admission. These factors need to be taken
into account in screening, clinical decision making and treatment design.

Langue : ANGLAIS