Therapy

Consider  early supported discharge and community rehabilitation ^a

Why?

• Patients achieve similar functional levels when rehabilitated in the community compared with hospital and are not clearly less satisfied with care. There is no clear difference in mortality or institutionalisation. ^d
• Patients who receive early supported discharge from a mobile stroke team spend on average 2 weeks fewer in hospital ^a and are less likely to die or be institutionalised. ^a
• Domiciliary care is not clearly less effective than day hospital care and costs the same. ^d
• Community-based rehabilitation is probably more cost-effective. ^d

Extended stroke unit stay and early supported discharge reduced death and institutionalisation

Patient	Treatment	Comparison	Outcome	CER	RRR (95% CI)	NNT (95% CI)
stroke a	extended stroke unit care and early supported discharge	ordinary stroke unit care	death or institutionalisation at 6 weeks	44%	42% (21% to 58%)	5 (3 to 12)