Association of Caregiver Availability and Training With Patient Community Discharge After Stroke.

The study was observational, so it shows association, not that caregiver availability or training caused community discharge. The researchers could not separate caregiver availability from caregiver training because the two were strongly associated and often occurred together. Caregiver training was identified only from OT and PT notes, so training by other disciplines was not captured. The notes did not say what skills were taught, how much training was given, or whether the caregiver demonstrated competence. Community discharge was measured only at IRF discharge; the study did not measure whether patients stayed in the community. EHR documentation was inconsistent, so some caregivers who received training may have been recorded as not trained. The study used records from 3 inpatient rehabilitation facilities in one health system, so results may not apply elsewhere. Missing comorbidity and acute stay complication data limited risk adjustment.

The supplied text does not report funding or conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that caregiver training alone causes community discharge. This was an observational record review, not a trial. Caregiver availability and caregiver training were strongly associated, and many patients with a caregiver also received training.