Exploring Physical Activity During the Discharge Transition Phase in People With Acquired Brain Injury-An Observational Study.

Only 8 of 45 eligible patients supplied usable accelerometer data; 10 participated, but data from participants 9 and 10 were discarded, reducing participants by 20%. 78% of eligible patients declined, often because they felt too busy before discharge, so the participants may not represent typical patients. Participants were mostly men, employed, cohabiting, and high-functioning, with ability to walk 10 meters independently and no severe cognitive deficits, limiting generalizability. Only 5 participants had both hospital and home accelerometer data, and participants 1, 3, and 8 removed the accelerometer before discharge, so discharge transition findings rest on very few observations. Associations were explored visually and no statistical testing for trends was done, so patterns cannot be treated as causal or reliable. Discharge dates were not always established 1 week in advance, so measurement timing varied relative to discharge. One accelerometer failed because of technical problems, and one participant wore it for less than 24 hours.

Do not conclude that discharge causes a predictable drop in activity or that this group represents all people with acquired brain injury. The walking decrease was seen only in five participants with before and after data, and 78% of eligible patients declined.