Functional prediction post-stroke

The ability of physiotherapists to accurately predict the recovery of motor function post-stroke (level) and the time required for this recovery (time) is a useful clinical skill. The degree of accuracy was investigated on eight functional tasks using ordinal assessment scales, in a prospective unblinded trial of 37 patients admitted sequentially to a stroke rehabilitation unit. The correlations between predicted and achieved performance for both level and time were statistically significant for all tasks. Prediction accuracy was better for level (ranging from 84 to 100 per cent ± one level) than for time (ranging from 63 to 90 per cent ± two weeks). When inaccurate, physiotherapists tended to be optimistic in predicting both level and time. Physiotherapists were able to predict independence accurately (independence predictive values ranging from 0.76 to 0.95).