Early interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation significantly improves the quality of life of stroke survivors: a multi-center study

Background: Interdisciplinary and intensive stroke rehabilitation programs have been shown to be positively correlated with improved functional outcomes. However, data regarding their combined use on the quality of life (QOL) of stroke survivors appears scant.

Objective: To evaluate whether interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation programs for stroke survivors can improve their health-related QOL (HRQOL) scores and whether the timing of the interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation has a significant effect on HRQOL scores.

Materials and Methods: This was a multi-center, prospective study. Patients were retrospectively selected from the Thai Stroke Rehabilitation Registry database. Three hundred seventy-six stroke patients from nine main tertiary hospitals in Thailand who had received acute stroke rehabilitation were screened between March and December 2006. Two hundred seven patients completed World Health Organization Quality of Life scale abbreviated Thai version (WHOQOL-BREF-Thai) questionnaires and were divided into two groups based on the time after onset of stroke to start interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation: sub-acute (<1 month) and chronic (≥1 month). WHOQOL-BREF-Thai questionnaires were composed of four domains (physical health, psychological well being, social relationships and environment satisfaction), which were administered to the patients before and after interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation to assess QOL.

Results: After interdisciplinary intensive rehabilitation, patients from both groups showed significant improvement in their quality of life in all domains, sex life and family relationships. However, patients from the sub-acute group had more significant improvement in their environment domain, family relationships and overall WHOQOL scores than those in the chronic group.

Conclusion: Early interdisciplinary intensive stroke rehabilitation can significantly improve environment domain, family relationships and overall WHOQOL of stroke patients.