National Post Hospital Care Project and Length of Hospitalization of Patients with Stroke 2010-2011

Introduction: The National Post Hospital Care Project was created to provide a continuity of care after hospitalization or to functionally dependent people. Currently there is a great difficulty in the integration of patients. The objective of this paper is to compare the impact of the referral to the Project versus being discharged home, in the length of stay of stroke patients between 2010 and 2011. Material and Methods: Retrospective study of patients admitted to the Neurology Infirmary A and Stroke Unit of Coimbra's University Hospital, in 2010 and 2011. The cases analyzed were 1 209, featuring demographic data, length of stay, Rankin Score (mRS) and destination after discharge. The data was analyzed comparing the two years concerning the length of stay of stroke patients referred to the Project and those discharged home, given the their Rankin Score. Results: In 2011, the number patients referred to the National Post Hospital Care Project was higher, 23.5% compared to 21.4%. The length of stay for the same Rankin Score of the patients referred to National Post Hospital Care Project, remained higher than those discharged home: for a Rankin Score of 1: 11, versus 26 days for the Project; Rankin Score 2: 13, versus 29 days for the project; Rankin Score 3: 13, versus 23 days for the Project; Rankin Score 4: 17, to 33 days for the Project, Rankin Score 5: 27, versus 39 days to the Project. After comparison between the length of stay of patient discharged of and those referred to the National Post Hospital Care Project, it was estimated that the referral represented an hospitalization excess of 1 718 days in 2010 and 1 198 days in 2011. Conclusion: The National Post Hospital Care Project is unable to meet the actual needs although the waiting time has reduced, possibly due to the increased number of beds and the possibility of patients waiting at home.