Can Clinical Practice Guidelines Increase the Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Poststroke Rehabilitation?

Abstract

This article discusses the poststroke rehabilitation clinical practice guideline developed by expert panel for the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research in the Public Health Service, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Emphasis is on the need for the guideline, methods, and recommendations having the strongest base of scientific support. The importance of systematic assessment, rehabilitation referrals, and monitoring of the results of rehabilitation interventions receives particular attention. The article concludes with a brief discussion of some policy and research challenges facing stroke rehabilitation. Among these challenges, the most important are reorganization of rehabilitation facilities into integrated care systems and changes in insurance coverage to facilitate access and to create financial incentives for cost-effective use of resources.

Keywords:

• cost-effectiveness
• guidelines
• rehabilitation
• stroke