Stroke Recovery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Position Paper on Recommendations for Rehabilitation

Health care delivery shifted and adapted with the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Stroke care was negatively affected across the care continuum and may lead to poor community living outcomes in those who survived a stroke during the ongoing pandemic. For instance, delays in seeking care, changes in length of stays, and shifts in discharge patterns were observed dur-ing the pandemic. Those seeking care were younger and had more severe neurologic effects from stroke. Increased strain was placed on caregivers and public health efforts, and community-wide lockdowns, albeit necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19, had detrimental effects on treat-ment and recommendations to support community living outcomes. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Stroke Interdisciplinary Special Interest Group Health and Wellness Task Force convened to (1) discuss international experiences in stroke care and rehabilitation and (2) review recently published literature on stroke care and outcomes during the pandemic. Based on the fndings in the literature, the task force pro-poses recommendations and interdisciplinary approaches at the (1) institutional and societal level; (2) health care delivery level; and (3) individual and interpersonal level spanning across the care continuum and into the community.

Automated summary

Health care delivery for stroke patients has been negatively impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to delays in seeking care and changes in treatment patterns. The American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine has convened a task force to discuss international experiences and propose interdisciplinary approaches to address these challenges.