Comparison Between Comprehensive Nursing Care Ward and Private Care Ward on Functional Recovery in Stroke Patients

The need for a comprehensive nursing care service ward (CNCW) is emerging, but few studies have investigated its medical validity. This study aimed to assess the effect of hospitalization on functional recovery and fall incidence in poststroke patients. This retrospective study enrolled 354 patients with subacute stroke between July 2017 and April 2020. CNCW provided full caregiving and nursing to the patient. Baseline demographic and hospital data, including fall occurrence, were collected. Functional outcomes, including the Medical Research Council (MRC), Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index (K-MBI), and Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE), were evaluated upon admission and discharge. One hundred seventy-two patients were hospitalized in CNCW among the 354 stroke patients. Initial and final K-MMSE and K-MBI were significantly higher in the CNCW group. The K-MMSE score gain was significantly lower in the CNCW group (p < 0.05). The fall occurrence was significantly higher in the CNCW group (p < 0.01). Hospitalization in CNCW adversely affected cognitive function after stroke. Falls were detected more frequently and reported in CNCW.