Development and validation of a discharge planning index for achieving home discharge after hospitalization for acute stroke among those who received rehabilitation services.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop an index for establishing the probability of being discharged home after hospitalization for acute stroke using information about previous living circumstances, comorbidities, hospital course, and the physical grades and cognitive stages of independence achieved.

Design: This is a longitudinal observational population-based study. All 6515 persons treated for acute stroke who received rehabilitation services in 110 Veterans Affairs facilities within a 2-yr period were included.

Results: There were eight independent predictors of home discharge identified, and points were assigned through logistic regression: married (2 points); location before hospitalization (extended care = 0 points, other hospital = 9 points, home = 11 points); discharge physical grade (grade I, II, or III = 0 points; grade IV or V = 3 points; grade VI or VII = 5 points); discharge cognitive stage (stage I = 0 points; stage II, III, IV, or V = 3 points; stage VI or VII = 5 points); and absence of liver disease (2 points), mechanical ventilation (3 points), nonoral feeding (2 points), and intensive care unit admission (1 point). The points were added for all present factors to calculate scores. The probabilities of home discharge ranged from 65.03% in the least likely (≤21 points) to 98.24% in the most likely group (≥27 points).

Conclusions: The treatment team might apply prognostic estimates from this index in discharge planning and functional goal setting after initial physical medicine and rehabilitation assessment.