Does wait time during acute care for transfer to rehabilitation admission impact the outcomes following a traumatic spinal cord injury? A retrospective cohort study

• Published in: American journal of physical medicine & rehabilitation
• Main Authors: Richard-Denis, Andréane, Dionne, Antoine, Bourassa-Moreau, Étienne, Khoueir, Paul J., Maurais, Gilles, Mac-Thiong, Jean-Marc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved 23-02-2022
• ISSN: 0894-9115; 1537-7385
• DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001992

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of wait time in acute care for inpatient functional rehabilitation (IFR) admission on the IFR length of stay and functional outcome after a traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).
A retrospective cohort including 277 patients admitted to a single Level-1 SCI acute care center was completed. Partial correlations were used between wait time (in days) for transfer to IFR, the IFR length of stay and the Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) total score in the chronic period, adjusting for confounding variables. Stratified analyses were carried out based on the age group and severity of the injury.
Patients had to wait a mean of 7.3 ± 6.4 days (median: 6 days; IQR: 2-10 days, max 29 days) for IFR admission after rehabilitation readiness, which was not associated with the outcomes when adjusted (p > 0.05). However, individuals aged ≥65 years old with a motor-complete injury showed a lower functional status when exposed to wait time for transfer (r = -0.87, p = 0.02).
Wait time up to 29 days may have no impact on the IFR length of stay nor functional outcome following tSCI. However, additional resources and/or prioritization should be considered for vulnerable subgroups.