Early supported discharge after stroke

Authors: Langhorne, Peter; Widen-Holmqvist, Lotta; The Early Supported Discharge trialists,

Source: Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, Volume 39, Number 2, March 2007 , pp. 103-108(6)

Purchase options

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$25.35 plus tax Refund Policy

More about this publication?

Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine is an international peer-review journal published in English, with 10 regular issues published per year. Original articles, reviews, case reports, short communications, special reports and letters to the editor are published, as also are editorials and book reviews. The journal strives to provide its readers with a variety of topics, including: functional assessment and intervention studies, clinical studies in various patient groups, methodology in physical and rehabilitation medicine, epidemiological studies on disabling conditions and reports on vocational and sociomedical aspects of rehabilitation. The journal is read by a wide group of healthcare professionals including specialists in rehabilitation medicine, neurology, clinical neurophysiology, general medicine, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers. Contributions from all parts of the world and from different professions in rehabilitation are welcome.
Editorial Board
Information for Authors
Submit a Paper
Subscribe to this Title

More like this?

In this: publication
By this: publisher
In this Subject: Therapeutics & Alternative Medicine
By this author: Langhorne, Peter ; Widen-Holmqvist, Lotta ; The Early Supported Discharge trialists,

Content Key:

- Free

- New

- Open Access

- Subscribed

- Free Trial

Abstract:

Patients after stroke conventionally receive much of their rehabilitation in hospital. Services have been developed that offer patients an early discharge from hospital with more rehabilitation at home (early supported discharge). This paper sets out a systematic review of all randomized trials of early supported discharge services that included 12 trials (1659 patients). There was a reduced odds of death or dependency equivalent to 5 fewer adverse outcomes (95% confidence interval 1-10) for every 100 patients receiving an early supported discharge service (p = 0.04). Patients receiving early supported discharge services showed an 8 day reduction (p < 0.0001) in the length of hospital stay. The greatest benefits were seen in the trials evaluating a co-ordinated multidisciplinary early supported discharge team and with patients with mild-moderate disability. The experience of a trial from Stockholm is described in order to explore the potential mechanism of action of early supported discharge services. In conclusion, an illustrative case report is set out, indicating a typical patient pathway in an early supported discharge service.

Document Type: Review article

DOI: 10.2340/16501977-0042