Additional weekend therapy may reduce length of rehabilitation stay after stroke: a meta-analysis of individual patient data

This study pooled individual data from two randomised, controlled trials (n=350) using an individual patient data meta-analysis and multivariate regression. Participants: People with stroke admitted to inpatient rehabilitation facilities. Intervention: Additional weekend therapy (physiotherapy and/or occupational therapy) compared to usual care (5 days/week therapy). Outcome measures: Length of rehabilitation hospital stay, independence in activities of daily living measured with the Functional Independence Measure, walking speed and health-related quality of life. Results: Participants who received weekend therapy had a shorter length of rehabilitation hospital stay. In the un-adjusted analysis, this was not statistically significant (MD –5.7 days, 95% CI –13.0 to 1.5). Controlling for hospital site, age, walking speed and Functional Independence Measure score on admission, receiving weekend therapy was significantly associated with a shorter length of rehabilitation hospital stay (β=7.5, 95% CI 1.7 to 13.4, p =0.001). There were no significant between-group differences in Functional Independence Measure scores (MD 1.9 points, 95% CI –2.8 to 6.6), walking speed (MD 0.06 m/second, 95% CI –0.15 to 0.04) or health-related quality of life (SMD –0.04, 95% CI –0.26 to 0.19) at discharge. Discussion: Modest evidence indicates that additional weekend therapy might reduce rehabilitation hospital length of stay. Clinical Trial Registration: ACTRN12610000096055, ACTRN12609...
Source: Journal of Physiotherapy - Category: Physiotherapy Source Type: research