Abstract
Intermediate care (IMC) is defined as the specialized care provided to patients who have transitioned
out of the acute phase. While these patients are medically stable, they often retain physical impairments
that limit their daily activities and social participation. This is particularly evident in stroke patients who
require intensive rehabilitation. This study followed 139 stroke patients during the first six months after
hospital discharge across five hospitals. The participants consisted of 65 females (46.8%) and 74 males
(53.2%), with an average age of 70.6 years and one-fourth of the cases were hemorrhagic stroke. There
were four channels of IMC in this study: 1. IMC ward (31 cases, 22.3%), 2. IMC outpatient (27 cases, 19.4%),
3. IMC home rehabilitation (21 cases, 15.1%), and 4. self-home rehabilitation (45 cases, 32.4%). Improvements
in Barthel index (BI), Euro-quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), and World Health Organization-five well-being
index (WHO5) were observed across all groups in every type of IMC services. In conclusion, intermediate
care services represent a vital strategy for enhancing the recovery and quality of life for stroke patients.
Notably, IMC home rehabilitation emerged as an effective alternative that yielded outcomes comparable
to IMC ward care, leading to a statistically significant improvement in patients’ BI scores after a 14-week
period.
