Frequency and Reasons for Missed Inpatient Stroke Rehabilitation Therapy Sessions

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Stroke is a primary cause of adult disability, making inpatient rehabilitation vital for recovery.
• Missed therapy sessions during stroke rehabilitation may impede functional progress, but research is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency, causes, and potential consequences of missed therapy sessions in inpatient stroke rehabilitation.
• To explore factors contributing to missed rehabilitation sessions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of electronic medical records from a stroke rehabilitation unit.
• Inclusion criteria: stroke diagnosis with hemiparesis/hemiplegia.
• Data collected: demographics, functional scores, missed therapy sessions; analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlations.

Main Results:

• 184 therapy sessions (5% of total) were missed across 881 rehabilitation days.
• Physical therapy (36.4%), occupational therapy (34.2%), and speech-language pathology (29.4%) were most frequently missed.
• Common reasons included patient refusal, fatigue, and toileting needs. No significant correlation found between missed sessions and functional outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Missed therapy sessions are prevalent in stroke rehabilitation, posing clinical and administrative challenges.
• Patient-centered interventions and systemic adjustments are needed to reduce missed sessions and enhance recovery.
• Further research should examine the financial and functional impact of missed therapy sessions.