A register-based study comparing planned rehabilitation following acute stroke in 2011 and 2017

This cross-sectional, register-based study aimed to explore patterns of planned rehabilitation at discharge from stroke units in Sweden in 2011 and 2017 and identify explanatory variables for planned rehabilitation. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to identify variables that could explain planned rehabilitation. There were 19,158 patients in 2011 and 16,508 patients in 2017 with stroke, included in the study. In 2011, 57% of patients were planned for some form of rehabilitation at discharge from stroke unit, which increased to 72% in 2017 (p < 0.001). Patients with impaired consciousness at admission had increased odds for planned rehabilitation (hemorrhage 2011 OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13–1.81, 2017 OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.20–2.32), (IS 2011 OR 1.21, 95% CI 1.08–1.34, 2017 OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.28–1.75). Admission to a community hospital (hemorrhage 2011 OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.43–0.74, 2017 OR 0.39, 95% CI 0.27–0.56) (IS 2011 OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.58–0.69, 2017 OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.49–0.61) or to a specialized non-university hospital (hemorrhage 2017 OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.46–0.94), (IS 2011 OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82–0.98, 2017 OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.68–0.84) was associated with decreased odds of receiving planned rehabilitation compared to admission to a university hospital. As a conclusion severe stroke was associated with increased odds for planned rehabilitation and patients discharged from non-university hospitals had consistently decreased odds for planned rehabilitation.