Fewer than 1 in 4 patients with stroke and 1 in 7 patients with traumatic brain injury are discharged from the hospital to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, a recent study found.
The study, published June 10 in Neurology, analyzed 444,908 patients with acute neurologic injury in five states between 2016 and 2019. Among patients, 75% had stroke, 24% TBI and 1% traumatic spinal cord injury.
Here are five study findings.
1. Among patients, 20.1% were discharged to an inpatient rehabilitation facility, 26.4% to a skilled nursing facility and 53.5% to home.
2. Discharge to inpatient rehabilitation was highest for patients with traumatic spinal cord injury at 43.5%, followed by stroke at 21.8% and traumatic brain injury at 13.7%.
3. Older patients, women and Black patients had significantly higher odds of discharge to post-acute rehabilitation facilities instead of home.
4. Discharge to inpatient rehabilitation vs. a skilled nursing facility was significantly more likely for patients with private insurance, those with higher income and among Asian American and Pacific Islander patients, Hispanic patients and those of other racial identities.
5. The study highlights “the need for more equitable and evidence-based postacute rehabilitation planning,” study authors wrote.
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