The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of clinical rehabilitation for subacute cerebral infarction patients

Objective To determine the effectiveness and medical cost-effectiveness of clinical rehabilitation for promoting the functional recovery of sub-acute cerebral infarction patients. Methods Totally 247 sub-acute patients with cerebral infarction were randomly divided into a clinical rehabilitation group of 129 and a routine rehabilitation group of 118. The clinical group received a standardized rehabilitation intervention and drug treatment, while the routine rehabilitation group received routine rehabilitation therapy and drug treatment. The Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA) and the modified Barthel index (MBI) were used to compare the two groups after the treatment and 3 and 6 weeks later. The hospital cost for six weeks was also compared between the 2 groups. Results At 3 and 6 weeks, improvement in the average FMA and MBI scores was observed in both groups but the inter-group differences were not significant. The total hospital cost of the clinical group was, however, significantly less than that of the others. Conclusion Clinical rehabilitation can improve the motor function and ability in the activities of daily living of stroke patients. It also has economic benefits. Key words: Cerebral infarction; Clinical rehabilitation; Motor function; Ability in the activities of daily living; Stroke