Measuring functional status of stroke patients with the Sickness Impact Profile.

Measuring outcome of stroke treatment has focused mostly on Activities of Daily Living. In our study we investigated the impact of stroke on the patient's daily life and the course of functional status over time. A community-based cohort of stroke patients was examined with the Barthel ADL Index and the Sickness Impact Profile at fixed intervals post-stroke. Data were compared with those of an elderly control group in the community. The scores of the stroke group on all the subscales of the SIP were much worse than in the control group. The differences were greatest for house management, recreation/pastime and mobility. While there was significant improvement of the mean Barthel score between 8 and 26 weeks post-stroke, the mean SIP scores at these intervals did not change, with the exception of the subscale house management, which showed some improvement. It would appear that the impact of stroke on daily life is greatest in the fields of house management, recreation/pastime and mobility.