Functional independence measured in the acute phase of stroke predicts both generic and specific health-related quality of life: a 3-month prospective study in a middle-income country.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), a patient-centered outcome, is essential for healthcare, mainly in stroke, a chronic disease with a broad spectrum of disabilities.Functional independence is a key outcome and should always be a part of characterizing patients before the rehabilitation process.Functional independence assessed with the Modified Barthel Index in the acute phase of stroke predicts both generic and specific HRQoL at 3-month post-stroke.Patients post-stroke with lower functional independence at hospital discharge may be at risk of having lower HRQoL at 3-month post-stroke.