# The effect of evidence-based discharge planning on the health outcomes of stroke patients with dysphagia: a prospective cohort study

## TL;DR

This study shows that using evidence-based discharge planning helps stroke patients with swallowing difficulties avoid readmission and improves their recovery.

## Contribution

The study introduces a structured, evidence-based discharge planning approach specifically for stroke patients with dysphagia.

## Key findings

- Evidence-based discharge planning reduced unplanned readmission and aspiration rates in stroke patients with dysphagia.
- Patients in the exposed group showed better discharge readiness and self-management ability.
- The intervention improved safe feeding practices 30 days after discharge.

## Abstract

To evaluate the effects of an evidence-based discharge planning on the health outcomes of stroke patients with dysphagia.

Prospective cohort study.

This study was conducted with stroke patients who were diagnosed with dysphagia and scheduled to be discharged to their homes. A total of 90 eligible patients were consecutively enrolled to the exposed group and non-exposed group. The exposed group received an evidence-based discharge planning with follow-up at 7 and 30 days after discharge. The non-exposed group received routine care with the same length of care and follow-up as the exposed group. Trained research assistant collected all patients’ baseline data on admission (T0), recorded unplanned re-admission and aspiration, evaluated the discharge readiness, self-management ability and safe feeding on the day of discharge (T1), 7 days post-discharge (T2), and 30 days post-discharge (T3).

Compared with the non-exposed group, the exposed group showed significantly lower rate of unplanned readmission, lower incidence of aspiration, improvement in discharge readiness, self-management ability, and safe feeding scores.

An evidence-based discharge planning can significantly reduce unplanned readmission rate and aspiration in stroke patients with dysphagia, and significantly improving patients’ discharge readiness, self-management ability and safe feeding. It provides clinical care with a clear and effective guideline plan for the management of patients with dysphagia in stroke.

The study has been registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn) under registration number ChiCTR24000087983.