[An evaluation of the accessibility of early post-stroke comprehensive rehabilitation in Poland].
OBJECTIVE
According to the European Stroke Initiative recommendations every stroke patient should undergo rehabilitation; its program should be tailored according to the individual needs of the patient. The aim of our study was to evaluate the accessibility of comprehensive early stroke rehabilitation at neurological departments in Poland.


METHODS
We have sent a questionnaire evaluating neurological and rehabilitation departments in Poland, where stroke patients are treated and undergo early rehabilitation. We divided them into 5 categories -- classes from A to F: class A -- having comprehensive rehabilitation (kinesitherapy minimum 60 minutes/day, speech therapy minimum 30 minutes for 5 days a week and rehabilitation of other cognitive impairments and group kinesitherapy at rehabilitation departments); B -- having the possibility of all types of therapy, but is done less frequently; C -- kinesitherapy and speech therapy; D -- kinesitherapy and cognitive rehabilitation; E -- only kinesitherapy. We also separated neurological departments without trained rehabilitation staff.


RESULTS
We obtained responses from 191 of 215 (88.8%) neurological departments. According to criteria: 26 class A, 38 class B, 50 class C, 2 class D, 73 class E, 2 without specialized rehabilitation staff. We received filled questionnaires from 115 of 172 (66.9%) rehabilitation departments. According to criteria: 11 class A, 31 class B, 28 class C, 4 class D and 41 class E.


CONCLUSIONS
Only 14% of all neurological departments and 10% of rehabilitation departments administered comprehensive early stroke rehabilitation in Poland. Improvement of comprehensive rehabilitation accessibility in Poland is necessary for lowering the number of disabled post-stroke patients.
Członkowska
Anna
A
II Klinika Neurologii, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii w Warszawie. czlonkow@ipin.edu.pl
Sarzyńska-Długosz
Iwona
I
Krawczyk
Maciej
M
D001037:Aphasia / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007697:Kinesics; D011044:Poland; D013070:Speech Therapy; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors