Abstract WP62: Skilled Nursing Facilities As A Bridge For Acute Rehabilitation In Acute Stroke Patients Who Are Not Immediate Candidates For Intensive Therapy

Background: Rehabilitation after hospital discharge is an essential component of stroke recovery. However, many stroke patients are not immediately ready for an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) after hospital discharge because of poor endurance, weakness, cognitive status, or medical condition. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the efficacy of skilled nursing facilities (SNF) as a bridge to improve the number of post-stroke IRF admissions, and better understand the factors that allow transfer from a SNF to IRF by assessing differences between patients who are discharged from a SNF with vs. without an IRF referral. Methods: We included subjects with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, or intracerebral hemorrhage who were admitted to an urban CSC and discharged to a SNF from 1/2015 to 12/2021. Baseline demographics including gender, race, age, and risk factors were abstracted. Data were retrieved from both our EMR and Get With the Guidelines Stroke Database. Wilcoxon rank sum tests and chi square tests were used to analyze the data. Results: 1120 patients with a stroke diagnosis were discharged to a SNF, of which 173 (15%) received an IRF referral after SNF discharge. Nine to 19% (mean=15, SD=3) of SNF patients received an IRF referral between 2015 and 2021. Patients with an IRF referral were younger (mean age: 61.90, SD=14.05 vs 73.09, SD=12.12; p < 0.0001). There were no statistically significant differences in length of stay, discharge mRS, and prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, dyslipidemia, heart failure, and smoking. Men more frequently received an IRF referral (20% vs 11%, p < 0.0001). Racial differences in referral patterns were not significant (p = 0.19). Conclusions: SNFs are an effective bridge between the hospital and IRF settings, given that 15% of all stroke patients discharged to a SNF were ultimately referred to an IRF. SNFs should be considered as an alternate route for post-stroke patients who are not immediately ready for IRFs after hospital discharge but may still benefit from IRF therapy.