Sunnaas International Network´s Stroke Study (SINs)

• activities of daily living [ Time Frame: patients will be followed 6 months from baseline testing ]
  Changes in Activities of daily living are monitored as an indirect evaluation of how the specialized rehabilitation may influence patients' outcomes.
  
  

• The Life Satisfaction checklist (LiSat-11) [ Time Frame: patients will be followed 6 months from baseline testing ]
  LiSat-11 consists of patients estimations of satisfaction with life as a whole as well as satisfaction in ten specific domains: vocation, economy, leisure, contacts, sexual life, activities of daily living (ADL), family life, partner relationship, somatic health, psychological health
  
  

• National Institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) [ Time Frame: patients will be tested baseline and at discharge ]

  NIHSS is a clinical stroke assessment tool to evaluate and document neurological status in acute stroke patients.

  The timeframe for discharge will vary with the different clinics since this is one of the differences expected.

  Length of stay is one of the outcomes

  
  
• Modified Rankin Scale [ Time Frame: patients will be followed 6 months from baseline testing ]
  it is an evaluation of the degree of disability or dependence in the daily activities of people who have suffered a stroke
  
  
• Description of the psycho- social situation [ Time Frame: 6 months after discharge ]
  A semi - structured interview, with focus on the psycho-social situation 6 months after rehabilitation, will be performed. Questions will focus on the work-, financial situation, what sort of follow-up services, recreational- and social activities are available, and what is considered the major change of life after stroke.
  
  
• description of institution [ Time Frame: baseline ]
  a questionaire where the participants are required to describe the services available, methods used in rehabilitation, intensity of training, procedures for intake and discharge
  
  
• registration data [ Time Frame: baseline ]
  questionnaire regarding demographic data; age, gender, civil status, comorbidity, medication
  
  

The descriptive study is two folded:

1) Description of the rehabilitation centers and the content the respective clinic presents as specialized rehabilitation.

A description of the expected change this input will result in in form of patients change in ADL and life satisfaction, with repeated measurements:

2a) reports of change in activities of daily living from baseline, to one fixed time (18-22 days in rehab),at discharge (which will vary),6 and 12 months post discharge (relatively fixed time) .

2b) reports of possible change in life satisfaction at baseline, discharge, 6 and 12 months after discharge.

Since the times for admission is expected to vary, which will be described under 1),we also want to measure if and how this difference might influence results. Therefore a fixed measure is inserted between admission and discharge. we have added a "relatively" fixed date at 6 months post stroke in order to see if change of function from specialized rehabilitation will differ in a longitudinal perspective, and if possible to see if the difference in time to admission (time from debut till admission in specialized rehabilitation)might influence results.

3) description of psycho- social factors at 6 and 12 months post discharge