title: Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program: Hospital-Based Stroke Outpatient Rehabilitation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have considered the effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation programs for stroke patients. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a hospital-based interdisciplinary outpatient stroke rehabilitation program with respect to physical functioning, mobility, and balance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program provides a hospital-based interdisciplinary approach to stroke rehabilitation in Southwestern Ontario. Outcome measures from physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions were available at intake and discharge from the program. A series of paired sample t-tests were performed to assess patient changes between time points for each outcome measure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 271 patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis (56.1% male; mean age = 62.9 ± 13.9 years). Significant improvements were found between admission and discharge for the Functional Independence Measure, grip strength, Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment, two-minute walk test, maximum walk test, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Scale, and one-legged stance (P < .003 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings indicate that an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program was effective at improving the physical functioning, mobility, and balance of individuals after a stroke. A hospital-based, stroke-specific rehabilitation program should be considered when patients continue to experience deficits after inpatient rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada. Electronic address: Danielle.Rice@sjhc.london.on.ca.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janzen
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McIntyre
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Julianne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermeer
authors.affiliation: St. Joseph's Health Care, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Britt
authors.affiliation: Lawson Health Research Institute, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; St. Joseph's Health Care, Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario, Canada; Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Teasell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009788:Occupational Therapy; D009864:Ontario; D010348:Patient Care Team; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D017064:Process Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Stroke; occupational therapy; outpatient; physiotherapy; rehabilitation