Objective: The aims of this study were: to follow the course of recovery of motor function following acute stroke, as assessed by the Physiotherapy Clinical Outcome Variables Scale (COVS), and; to investigate the ability of this instrument to predict length of hospital stay, discharge destination and future home facility.
Methods: In this prospective longitudinal study, COVS was registered at admission and discharge from an acute stroke unit and at 3 months post-stroke onset.
Subjects: Sixty subjects were recruited consecutively from a sample of patients after first-ever acute stroke, and of these, 50 received follow-up assessment.
Outcome variables: Length of hospital stay, discharge destination and home facility 3 months post-stroke.
Results: The overall COVS scores increased significantly during the 3-month follow-up. The admission COVS score correlated negatively with length of stay. A cut-off at 50 points and 41 points could predict discharge destination and future home facility, respectively.
Conclusion: COVS measures improvements and can predict length of hospital stay, discharge destination and future home facility. Thus, it could be used in early prediction for effective planning of the acute stroke unit services and efficient discharge planning.