Measuring Autonomy and Functional Recovery after Stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the world. This life-changing disease affects the patient, family, and society at large. It is a leading cause of human suffering and among the primary reasons for long-term, institutionalized care. The economic impact of stroke is huge; besides direct healthcare costs including rehabilitation, indirect costs such as lost productivity of patients and family caregivers and disability payments are huge.1 The management of patients who have had a stroke is complex with several phases of care that take priority during the course of the illness including (1) emergency treatment of the stroke itself, (2) prevention and treatment of neurological and medical complications, (3) prevention of recurrent stroke, and (4) maximization of recovery including rehabilitation.
Source: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases - Category: Neurology Authors: Source Type: research