What is it about?

Many people admitted to stroke units in England have a home visit before discharge. This study reports on a randomised controlled trial of home visits compared with a hospital-based interview. The main aim was to test the feasibility of a larger trial, but the study also reports on patient outcomes at one month follow-up and on the costs of the intervention.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

People who return home from hospital after having a stroke might experience problems with the activities of daily living, and for this reason many people receive a home visit. However, prior to this study there was no evidence to support their use. This study highlights the need for a larger trial of home visits to justify their use in practice.

Perspectives

It isn't clear whether home visits for people with a stroke represent a good use of resources. This study demonstrates the need to carry out a larger study to determine whether or not home visits should continue to be used.

Mr Christopher James Sampson
The Office of Health Economics

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Occupational therapy predischarge home visits for patients with a stroke (HOVIS): results of a feasibility randomized controlled trial, Clinical Rehabilitation, October 2012, SAGE Publications,
DOI: 10.1177/0269215512462145.
You can read the full text:

Read

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page