Assistive products in patients with stroke: Acquisition and unmet needs

Purpose To assess the acquisition of assistive products (APs) and unmet needs regarding APs in patients after stroke. Methods In this prospective cohort study patients reported their acquisition of APs in the past 6 months at 6, 12, 24, and 30 months after starting stroke rehabilitation. At 12 months unmet needs related to APs were assessed with four items of the Longer-term Unmet Needs after Stroke. Results 836 patients (median age 63 years, 38.5% female) were included. In the first year after starting stroke rehabilitation, 50.0% of patients had acquired no APs, 22.4% had acquired 1–2 APs, and 27.6% ≥ 3 APs. Most frequently a shower chair (32.8%) and grab bars (26.3%) were acquired. After this year, fewer APs were acquired, most frequently a walker (8.3%) and orthopaedic shoes (7.9%). Unmet needs related to APs were reported by 20.2% of patients. Patients with ≥3 APs reported more unmet needs than patients without APs or with 1–2 APs. Conclusion One year after starting stroke rehabilitation, 50.0% of patients acquired APs, while one in five patients still had an unmet need related to APs. Health professionals should be alert to these unmet needs, especially in patients with stroke who already have several APs.