Prediction of Discharge Destination After Inpatient Rehabilitation for Stroke Using Mobility and Self-Care Assessment in Section GG of the Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility - Patient Assessment Instrument.

The study was conducted at a single inpatient rehabilitation facility in the New York metropolitan area, which limits generalizability to other settings or populations. The definition of 'caregiver presence' was based on living situation at admission, and it is unclear if these individuals actually assumed the caregiving role upon discharge. The Section GG scores used do not account for cognitive status, which is a known factor in discharge decisions. Socioeconomic factors and bowel/bladder incontinence were not included in the analysis. The model for distinguishing between home with outpatient therapy and home with homecare failed to meet the predefined quality criteria.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the data.

Do not rely solely on Section GG functional scores to predict discharge destination. The study shows that caregiver presence is a more powerful predictor. A patient with a high functional score who lacks a caregiver may still require a skilled nursing facility, and the functional score alone cannot override the social support factor.