• Claus Rydahl Torp, Sonja Vinkler, Kirsten Damgaard Pedersen, Finn Rønholt Hansen, Torben Jørgensen, Ingrid Willaing, and Jens Olsen.
• Geriatric Department B, Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark. rydahl-torp@mail.dk
• Stroke. 2006 Jun 1; 37 (6): 1514-20.

Background And PurposeReadmission rate within 6 months after a stroke is 40% to 50%. The purpose of the project was to evaluate whether an interdisciplinary stroke team could reduce length of hospital stay, readmission rate, increase patient satisfaction and reduce dependency of help.MethodsOne hundred and ninety-eight patients with acute stroke were randomized into 103 patients whose discharge was supported by an interdisciplinary stroke team and 95 control patients who received standard aftercare. Baseline characteristics were comparable in the 2 groups. The patients were evaluated after 6 and 12 months regarding functional status and need for help.ResultsLength of hospital admission was insignificantly shorter in the intervention compared with the control group (35.2 versus 39.8 days). There was no significant difference in readmission, GP-visits, and primary health care services. Furthermore, there was no significant difference in functional scores or patient satisfaction.ConclusionsIn this setting we could not show benefit of an interdisciplinary stroke team supporting patients at discharge perhaps because standard aftercare was very efficient already.

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