Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to explore the relationship between the duration of rehabilitation of stroke survivors and the functional independence measure (FIM) performance index and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Methods
The study included stroke patients from 66 medical institutions in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan who were admitted to and discharged from convalescent rehabilitation wards. Data on the FIM and HRQOL scores and duration of rehabilitation at discharge were collected for analysis, which included correlation analysis and statistical tests for differences.
Results
The study analysed data from 160 participants (103 men and 57 women), with the results showing that an extended rehabilitation duration had a negative effect on the FIM performance index and HRQOL (correlation between rehabilitation duration and FIM performance index :r= -0.43, P < 0.01; correlation between rehabilitation duration and HRQOL:r= -0.26, P < 0.01). Conversely, a small but significant positive correlation was observed between the FIM gain and the EQ-5D-5L HRQOL measure (r = 0.34, P < 0.01).
Conclusion
The study findings suggest that excessively prolonged rehabilitation may adversely affect FIM performance index and HRQOL in stroke survivors, highlighting the importance of optimizing rehabilitation duration to improve outcomes in stroke rehabilitation.