Mobility status during inpatient rehabilitation: a comparison of patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury.

Objectives: To compare the mobility status (admission and discharge status, change in status) between patients with stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) during inpatient rehabilitation and to determine the relationship between mobility status and outcome variables including length of stay (LOS).

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Free-standing tertiary rehabilitation center.

Participants: A total of 210 patients with stroke (n = 136) and TBI (n = 74) consecutively admitted for inpatient rehabilitation.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main Outcome Measures: Clinical Outcome Variable Scale (COVS), a 13-item scale of mobility status (measured on admission and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation), and rehabilitation LOS.

Results: With age and time since injury controlled in the model, the TBI group showed a significantly higher mobility status on admission and discharge over the stroke group, but the change (improvement) in mobility status did not differ. The admission mobility status accounted for 61% and 60% of variability of the discharge mobility status for the stroke and TBI groups, respectively. The admission mobility status accounted for 40% and 50% of the variability in rehabilitation LOS for the stroke and TBI groups, respectively. Either the admission mobility status or the physical therapist's prediction of the discharge status could be used to determine the actual discharge mobility status, although the physical therapist's predictions were more accurate than using a statistical model.

Conclusions: The TBI group showed a higher mobility status at admission and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation than the stroke group; however, the rate of improvement (improvement in mobility status per day) did not differ between groups. Admission mobility status using the COVS was an excellent predictor of discharge mobility status and rehabilitation LOS in stroke and TBI patients.