Quality of rehabilitation care in Portuguese stroke units: findings from 2017-2018 and 2023 national cross‑sectional surveys.
Joana Teles Sarmento, Ana Alves, Paulo Castro-Chaves and 2 others
PMID 41906596WHAT IT FOUND
Portuguese stroke units improved multidisciplinary meetings and discharge coordination over six years.
However, fully staffed teams remained rare, weekend assessments lagged significantly behind weekdays, and neurogenic bladder screening was almost never performed.
Key findings
01Weekly multidisciplinary rehabilitation team meetings increased sharply from 20% of units in the first assessment to 72% in the second.
02Fully constituted multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams were present in only 22% of units initially and 18% later, with psychologists and occupational therapists frequently absent.
03While 86% of units assessed patients within 48 hours on weekdays, only 29% managed this within the same timeframe on weekends.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study relied on self-reported data from unit heads or physiatrists, which may be biased toward favourable practices. It was not possible to match specific stroke units between the two time periods, so the comparison is aggregate-level rather than longitudinal for individual centres. Perspectives of other team members (nurses, therapists) were not captured, potentially missing operational realities. Data collection methods differed between periods (face-to-face/paper in A1 vs online in A2), which could introduce bias. Staff-to-patient ratios were not assessed, so the capacity of the existing teams to deliver care remains unknown.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the increase in multidisciplinary meetings as a sign that staffing shortages have been resolved. Fully constituted rehabilitation teams remained rare (18-22%), and the absence of occupational therapists and psychologists in a significant portion of units persists.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →