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(Stroke. 2006;37:1514.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Model of Hospital-Supported Discharge After Stroke

Claus Rydahl Torp, MD; Sonja Vinkler; Kirsten Damgaard Pedersen, MD, DrMedSc; Finn Rønholt Hansen, MD, PhD; Torben Jørgensen, MD, DrMedSc Jens Olsen, MSc(Econ)

From the Geriatric Department B (C.R.T., S.V., K.D.P., F.R.H.), Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark; the Research Centre for Prevention and Health (T.J., I.W.), Copenhagen County, Glostrup, Denmark; and CAST - Centre for Applied Health Services Research and Technology Assessment (J.O.), University of Southern Denmark.

Correspondence and reprint requests to Claus Rydahl Torp, Mosevangen 29, 3460 Birkerød, Denmark. E-mail rydahl-torp{at}mail.dk

Background and Purpose— Readmission rate within 6 months after a stroke is 40% to 50%. The purpose of the project was to evaluate whether an interdisciplinary stroke team could reduce length of hospital stay, readmission rate, increase patient satisfaction and reduce dependency of help.

Methods— One hundred and ninety-eight patients with acute stroke were randomized into 103 patients whose discharge was supported by an interdisciplinary stroke team and 95 control patients who received standard aftercare. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the 2 groups. The patients were evaluated after 6 and 12 months regarding functional status and need for help.

Results— Length of hospital admission was insignificantly shorter in the intervention compared with the control group (35.2 versus 39.8 days). There was no significant difference in readmission, GP-visits, and primary health care services. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in functional scores or patient satisfaction.

Conclusions— In this setting we could not show benefit of an interdisciplinary stroke team supporting patients at discharge perhaps because standard aftercare was very efficient already.

Key Words: randomized controlled trial • rehabilitation