Hospital disposition after stroke in a national survey of acute cerebrovascular diseases in Israel.

Objective: To investigate predictive factors for disposition after acute stroke.

Design: A nationwide survey (2004 National Acute Stroke Israeli Survey).

Setting: All 28 primary general medical centers operating in Israel.

Participants: Acute stroke patients (n=1583) admitted during February and March 2004 and discharged from the primary hospital.

Interventions: Data collected on baseline characteristics, stroke presentation, type and severity, in-hospital investigation and complications, discharge disability, acute hospital disposition, and mortality follow-up.

Main Outcome Measure: Hospital disposition to home, acute rehabilitation, or nursing facility.

Results: Among patients, 58.9% (n=932) were discharged home, 33.7% (n=534) to rehabilitation departments, and only 7.4% (n=117) to nursing facilities. Admission neurologic status was a good predictor of hospital disposition. Patients with severe strokes were mostly discharged to rehabilitation facilities. Patients with significant functional decline before the index stroke, resulting from a previous stroke or another cause, were sent to inpatient rehabilitation less frequently. Disability level at discharge from acute hospitalization had high predictive value in hospital disposition after stroke. In the northern region of Israel, a higher proportion of patients were sent home and a lower proportion to rehabilitation and nursing facilities, probably because of lower availability of rehabilitation care in this region of Israel.

Conclusions: This nationwide survey shows that most stroke survivors in Israel are discharged home from the acute primary hospital. Good functional status before the index stroke is an important predictor for being sent to acute inpatient rehabilitation. Severity of neurologic impairment and level of disability after the stroke at discharge from the primary hospital are strong predictors for disposition after stroke in Israel. Our data may be useful in discharge planning for stroke patients by policy-makers and health care providers in Israel.