Study: Most Patients are Getting Small Doses of Rehab Therapy After StrokeNews Medical Life Sciences | By Emily Henderson, B.Sc. Many patients don't receive much rehabilitation therapy following a stroke, despite strong evidence that higher amounts can reduce long-term disability, according to a new UCLA-led study that tracked over 500 patients across 28 acute care hospitals in their first year following a stroke. The new research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Stroke, is the first U.S.-wide study to find that patients who had more severe strokes received higher amounts of rehabilitation therapy, a welcome finding. "But in the bigger picture, the findings reinforce that too many patients are missing out on a golden opportunity to maximize recovery during a critical period following a stroke," said the study's lead author, Steven Cramer, MD. Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability in the United State and can affect speech, memory, and mobility, among other impairments. Among the study's key findings:
Cramer said it is important for future research to examine the feasibility of providing higher therapy doses to stroke patients. |