Canadian stroke best practice recommendations: Stroke rehabilitation practice guidelines, update 2015

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Stroke rehabilitation is crucial for optimizing patient recovery across physical, cognitive, and functional domains.
• Persistent deficits post-stroke necessitate ongoing rehabilitation, impacting mobility, communication, and daily activities.
• Annually, 62,000 strokes occur in Canada, with over 6,500 survivors requiring inpatient rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present the 2015 update of the Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations: Stroke Rehabilitation Practice Guidelines.
• To provide comprehensive, evidence-based guidance for multidisciplinary teams involved in stroke care.
• To address both system-level organization and specific clinical interventions for stroke recovery.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive review and synthesis of current research evidence.
• Development of recommendations based on the strength and quality of available evidence.
• Inclusion of a new section on pediatric stroke rehabilitation.

Main Results:

• The updated guidelines cover system organization (e.g., rehabilitation units, teams) and clinical care (e.g., extremity dysfunction, dysphagia, communication).
• Recommendations are assigned levels of evidence to reflect research support.
• New research areas and strengthened evidence for existing recommendations are featured.

Conclusions:

• The updated guidelines offer direction and standardization for stroke rehabilitation in Canada and internationally.
• These recommendations support patients, families, caregivers, and clinicians.
• The guidelines emphasize a progressive, goal-oriented approach to maximize patient potential.