BI (Barthel Index); FIM (Functional Independence Measures); Neurorehabilitation; Patient outcome assessment; Stroke

The main objective of this paper is the study of patient self-sufficiency functional tests in the early rehabilitation stage of stroke, and their further development in relation to the initial disability severity. Attention is paid to the identification of links between the first weeks of early rehabilitation therapy and the patients’ state one year after their discharge from the early rehabilitation ward. There were 87 patients in early rehabilitation wards in three different parts of the Czech Republic. One year after their discharge, 29 of them were tested again. The FIM (Functional Independence Measure) values from the follow-up check statistically significantly correlate with the severity of patients’ functional disability at the time of admission one year ago (at the significance level of 0.05), more severe patients improved more than less severe ones. The same applies if we look at the effect of the number of days between the first onset of stroke and the admission to the early rehabilitation ward (at the significance level of 0.05). The sooner the patients were admitted, the bigger the improvement they could achieve. Monitoring of changes in the functional state and the self-sufficiency progress in stroke patients is crucial for rehabilitation indication and the tracking of its outcomes. In the Czech Republic, unfortunately, we still tend to look for unified criteria for disability evaluation, and many patients must pass through the rehabilitation system without clear guidance. © 2021, University of South Bohemia. All rights reserved.