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Racial/Ethnic differences in poststroke rehabilitation outcomes
Charles Ellis1, Hyacinth I Hyacinth2, Jamie Beckett1
1Department of Health Sciences and Research, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA ; College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, 77 President Street, MSC 700, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Black stroke survivors generally experience poorer functional outcomes after rehabilitation compared to White survivors. This highlights significant racial disparities in stroke recovery and functional improvement.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Rehabilitation Medicine
- Health Disparities
Background:
- Racial and ethnic disparities in stroke incidence, severity, and morbidity are well-documented.
- Less is understood regarding potential differences in post-stroke rehabilitation outcomes across racial and ethnic groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate racial and ethnic variations in post-stroke rehabilitation outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across Medline and key journals from 2003-2012.
- Included studies reported rehabilitation outcomes and race/ethnicity for at least two groups.
- 17 studies with 429,108 stroke survivors met the inclusion criteria.
Main Results:
- The majority of studies (94%) compared Black and White populations.
- 59% of these studies indicated that Black individuals achieved less functional improvement post-rehabilitation.
- Black stroke survivors showed lower Functional Independence Measure (FIM) gain and efficiency scores compared to White survivors.
Conclusions:
- Black stroke survivors tend to have poorer functional outcomes following rehabilitation than White survivors.
- Further research is necessary to quantify these differences and identify underlying causal factors.
