Effectiveness of Client-Centered "Tune-Ups" on Community Reintegration, Mobility, and Quality of Life After Stroke: A...

To explore the effectiveness of a 2-week client-centered rehabilitation intervention (tune-up) delivered 6 months after inpatient discharge on community reintegration at 1 year in people with stroke.

A multicenter randomized controlled trial with 2 groups: an intervention ("tune-up") group and a control group having the same exposure to assessment.

Three research laboratories.

Participants (N=103) with hemiparetic stroke recruited from inpatient rehabilitation units at the time of discharge.

Participants randomized to the tune-up group received 1-hour therapy sessions in their home 3times/wk for 2 weeks at 6 months postdischarge focusing on identified mobility-related goals. A second tune-up was provided at 12 months.

Community reintegration measured by the Subjective Index of Physical and Social Outcome at 12 months and secondary outcomes included the Berg Balance Scale and measures of mobility and health-related quality of life up to 15 months.

At 12 months, both groups showed significant improvement in community reintegration (P<.05), a trend evident at all time points, with no difference between groups (mean difference, -0.5; 95% confidence interval, -1.8 to 2.7; P=.68). Similarly, a main effect of time reflected improvement in mobility-related and quality of life outcomes for both groups (P≤.0.5), but no group differences (P≥.30).

All participants in the tune-up group met or exceeded at least 1 mobility-related goal; however, the intervention did not differentially improve community reintegration. The improvements in mobility and quality of life over the 15-month postdischarge period may be secondary to high activity levels in both study groups and exposure to regular assessment.