Changes in satisfaction with activities and participitation between acute, post-acute and chronic stroke phases: a responsiveness study of the SATIS-Stroke questionnaire.

Bouffioulx, Edouard [UCL] Arnould, Carlyne [UCL] Vandervelde, Laure [UCL] Thonnard, Jean-Louis [UCL]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate clinical changes among the acute, post-acute and chronic phases in stroke patients' satisfaction with activities and participation. The SATIS-Stroke questionnaire's sensitivity to change was investigated with a sample of 45 stroke patients. METHODS: The SATIS-Stroke questionnaire was used to collect data from the 45 patients (mean age 69 years, 64% men) in the acute, post-acute and chronic stroke phases. Responsiveness of the questionnaire was investigated using a sample approach (effect size and standardized response mean indices) and an individual approach (t statistic). The clinical significance of change was also calculated using the empirical rule of effect size and the minimal clinically important difference. RESULTS: Analysis of variance showed a significant difference among evaluations in the 3 phases (F = 13.662; 2 df; p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis showed a significant change between the acute and post-acute phases, but no significant change between the post-acute and chronic phases. Effect size and standardized response mean indices showed that the greatest change in satisfaction with activity and participation was between the acute and the chronic phases. Analysis of the clinical significance of change indicated that greater changes in satisfaction were necessary to detect clinically relevant improvement over time than clinically relevant deterioration. CONCLUSION: The SATIS-Stroke questionnaire successfully determined changes in satisfaction among stroke patients.