Determinants of access to rehabilitation professionals by individuals with stroke in the first six months after hospital discharge in Brazil: a study based on the Andersen model.

BACKGROUND: determinants of access to rehabilitation professionals after stroke in middle-income countries, where the burden of this disease is higher, are little known. OBJECTIVES: To identify the determinants of access to rehabilitation professionals by individuals with stroke at one, three, and six months after hospital discharge in Brazil and compare referral and access rates after discharge. METHODS: Longitudinal and prospective study, with individuals with primary stroke, without previous disabilities. At hospital discharge, the number of rehabilitation professionals referred by the multidisciplinary team was recorded. The possible determinants of access, according to Andersen's model, were: a) predisposing factors: age, sex, education levels, and belief that they could improve with treatment; b) need factors: stroke severity, levels of disability; c) enabling factors: socioeconomic status, disposable income for health care, and quality of care provided by rehabilitation professionals. One, three, and six months after hospital discharge, individuals were contacted to identify which rehabilitation professionals were accessed. Multiple linear regression model and Wilcoxon tests were used (α=5%). RESULTS: 201 individuals were included. Disability levels and stroke severity explained 31%, 34%, and 39% (p<0.01) of access at one, three, and six months after hospital discharge, respectively. In all periods, there was less access than that recommended at the time of hospital discharge (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Need factors (disability levels and stroke severity) were determinants of access in all assessed periods. In addition, in all periods, the comprehensiveness of care for individuals with stroke was compromised.

Barriers and facilitators to access post-stroke rehabilitation services in the first six months of recovery in Brazil.

PURPOSE: To identify barriers and facilitators to accessing post-stroke rehabilitation services six months after discharge from the stroke unit of a Brazilian public hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional and descriptive study collected sociodemographic and clinical-functional data during hospitalization. Then, barriers and facilitators for accessing the post-stroke rehabilitation services were collected six months after discharge. We considered economic conditions and displacement, the quality and organization of post-stroke rehabilitation services, and personal conditions. RESULTS: A total of 174 patients were included. Among the 20 aspects analyzed, 17 (85.0%) were reported as facilitators, while three (15.0%) were as barriers. The identified barriers included financial income available for healthcare (49.4%), waiting time to schedule or to be seen (47.0%), and process to scheduling (45.4%). The main facilitators (> 79.0%) were the expectation of the patient with the treatment and assistance from family and friends. Moreover, most patients indicated as facilitators all aspects related to the quality of post-stroke rehabilitation services. CONCLUSION: Access to post-stroke rehabilitation services presented more facilitators than barriers. Public policies to subsidize health costs, optimize waiting time, and process for scheduling post-stroke rehabilitation services should be considered to reduce barriers. Likewise, human and financial resources must promote the facilitators.

Public policies to subsidize health costs, optimize waiting times and scheduling in post-stroke rehabilitation services should be considered to facilitate access to rehabilitation services for post-stroke patients.The involvement of family and friends in the treatment of post-stroke patients should be encouraged.Patients' motivation and positive expectations can facilitate access to post-stroke rehabilitation services.

Access to rehabilitation professionals by individuals with stroke one month after hospital discharge from a stroke unit in Brazil is insufficient regardless of the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To compare access to rehabilitation professionals by individuals with stroke one month after hospital discharge from a stroke unit in Brazil, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This longitudinal and prospective study included individuals aged 20 years or older without previous disabilities admitted into a stroke unit due to a first stroke. Individuals were divided into two groups: before (G1) and during (G2) the COVID-19 pandemic. Groups were matched for age, sex, education level, socioeconomic status, and stroke severity. One month after hospital discharge, individuals were contacted via telephone to collect data regarding their access to rehabilitation services based on the number of referred rehabilitation professionals. Then, between-group comparisons were conducted (α = 5%). RESULTS: The access to rehabilitation professionals was similar between groups. Rehabilitation professionals accessed included medical doctors, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists. The first consultation after hospital discharge was mainly provided by public services. Despite the pandemic, telehealth was not frequent in any period evaluated. In both groups, the number of accessed professionals (G1 = 110 and G2 = 90) was significantly lower than the number of referrals (G1 = 212 and G2 = 194; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Access to rehabilitation professionals was similar between groups. However, the number of accessed rehabilitation professionals was lower than that of referred ones during both periods. This finding indicates a compromised comprehensiveness of care for individuals with stroke, regardless of the pandemic.

Five-repetition sit-to-Stand test among patients post-stroke and healthy-matched controls: the use of different chair types and number of trials.

Background: In 2018, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) published a clinical guideline for adults with neurological conditions, which included recommendations for the Five-Repetition Sit-to-Stand test (5STSt). According to the APTA, a standard-height chair should be used, but there is no recommendation regarding seat depth. In addition, the APTA recommended the use of one trial of the test, based on expert opinion.Objectives: (1) Compare the 5STSt scores of patients post-stroke and healthy-matched controls using two types of chairs (one standardized and one adjusted to the individual's anthropometric characteristics); and (2) Verify whether different numbers of trial affect the 5STSt scores.Methods: Eighteen patients post-stroke and 18 healthy-matched controls performed three trials of the 5STSt for each type of chair. ANOVA was used for analysis (α = 0.05).Results: No significant interaction between groups and chairs was found. Patients post-stroke showed worsened performances in 5STSt when using both chairs compared to the healthy controls (p = .001). In both groups, the 5STSt scores were lower when using a standardized chair than an adjusted chair (p < .003) and different numbers of trials provided similar 5STSt scores (0.44 ≤ p ≤ 0.98).Conclusion: The 5STSt scores were affected by the physical characteristics of the chair, and an adjusted chair should be used. The APTA recommendation for one trial of the 5STSt is supported by the present results.

Deficits in motor coordination of the paretic lower limb best explained activity limitations after stroke.

Objective: To explore the relationships between selected measures of motor impairments and activities involving the lower-limbs in ambulatory people with chronic stroke. Design: Motor impairment measures included maximal isometric strength and motor coordination. Activity measures included walking speed, stair ascent/descent cadences, and the time to perform the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Results: Ninety individuals were included. The correlations between all motor impairment and activity measures were significant (0.18 < r < 0.52, p < 0.05). Motor coordination and strength of the knee flexor muscles explained 30% (F = 20.3; p < 0.001) of the variance in walking speed, 32% (F = 19.1; p < 0.001) of stair ascent, and 31% (F = 16.8; p < 0.001) of stair descent cadence. Regarding the TUG, only motor coordination reached significance and explained 13% (F = 13.4; p < 0.001) of the variance. Conclusion: Measures of strength and motor coordination of the paretic lower limb were significantly correlated with all activity measures. However, despite the fact that knee flexor strength explained some variance in walking speed and stair ascent/descent cadences, motor coordination was the only measure that explained the variances in all three selected activity measures. These findings are innovative for neurological rehabilitation, since this is the first study to demonstrate that deficits in motor coordination of the paretic lower limb best explained limitations in performing different lower-limb activities.

Handgrip strength deficits best explain limitations in performing bimanual activities after stroke.

[Purpose] To evaluate the relationships between residual strength deficits (RSD) of the upper limb muscles and the performance in bimanual activities and to determine which muscular group would best explain the performance in bimanual activities of chronic stroke individuals. [Subjects and Methods] Strength measures of handgrip, wrist extensor, elbow flexor/extensor, and shoulder flexor muscles of 107 subjects were obtained and expressed as RSD. The performance in bimanual activities was assessed by the ABILHAND questionnaire. [Results] The correlations between the RSD of handgrip and wrist extensor muscles with the ABILHAND scores were negative and moderate, whereas those with the elbow flexor/extensor and shoulder flexor muscles were negative and low. Regression analysis showed that the RSD of handgrip and wrist extensor muscles explained 38% of the variance in the ABILHAND scores. Handgrip RSD alone explained 33% of the variance. [Conclusion] The RSD of the upper limb muscles were negatively associated with the performance in bimanual activities and the RSD of handgrip muscles were the most relevant variable. It is possible that stroke subjects would benefit from interventions aiming at improving handgrip strength, when the goal is to increase the performance in bimanual activities.