Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42605919›Full record

ArticleJournal of rehabilitation medicine2026

Survey on stroke rehabilitation in Europe (SUSTAIN-EU) to evaluate European stroke rehabilitation services.

Guna Bērziņa, Katharina S Sunnerhagen, Ayse A Küçükdeveci, Mauro Zampolini, Volodymyr Golyk, Yvona Angerova, Marco Franceschini, Daiana Popa, Catarina Aguiar Branco, Markos Sgantzos and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of rehabilitation medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Guna BērziņaDepartment of Rehabilitation, Riga Stradiņš University, Riga, Latvia.
Katharina S SunnerhagenRehabilitation Medicine, Clinical Neuroscience, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Rehabilitation Medicine, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0001-6826-2427
Ayse A KüçükdeveciAnkara University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara, Turkey.ORCID 0000-0001-7255-7535
Mauro ZampoliniDepartment of Rehabilitation, USL UMBRIA 2, Foligno, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8089-8583
Volodymyr GolykDisability and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation and Disability Unit, WHO Country Office in Ukraine; Ukrainian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Dnipro, Ukraine.ORCID 0000-0001-5106-6382
Yvona AngerovaDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-9812-1614
Marco FranceschiniResearch Area in Neuromotor Rehabilitation and Rehabilitation Robotics, Department of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Roma, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-2131-1583
Daiana PopaRehabilitation Hospital Felix Spa, Oradea, Romania.
Catarina Aguiar BrancoPRM Service - Hospital Feira - ULSEDV, Portugal and FMD University of Porto, Portugal.ORCID 0000-0001-5666-842X
Markos SgantzosMedical School, University of Thessaly, Greece.ORCID 0000-0001-6337-4534
Paolo BoldriniPrivate Practice, Ferrara, Italy.
Dominic PerennouNeurorehabilitation Department, Institute of Rehabilitation, Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital, Echirolles, France; Lab Psychology and NeuroCognition, University of Grenoble-Alpes, Grenoble, France.ORCID 0000-0003-2125-386X
Thierry LejeuneUCLouvain, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique (IREC), Neuro Musculo Skeletal Lab (NMSK), Brussels, Belgium; Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Service de médecine physique et réadaptation, Brussels, Belgium.ORCID 0000-0001-5741-7753
Xiaolei HuDepartment of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. xiaolei.hu@umu.se.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThis study aimed to assess the organization and delivery of post-stroke rehabilitation services across Europe, focusing on the role of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine physicians. DESIGN AND

methodsA cross-sectional online survey was conducted by the ESPRM Working Group of Stroke Rehabilitation from 30 European countries. The survey followed the International Classification of Service Organization in Rehabilitation framework and covered stroke care levels, rehabilitation services, registries, and quality control. Descriptive statistics were used for analysis.

resultsWith an 81% response rate, the study revealed both commonalities and disparities in service provision in 30 European countries. Stroke unit rehabilitation was available in 90% of countries, and inpatient services in 100%. However, early supported discharge (53%), community-based rehabilitation (63%), and telerehabilitation (57%) were less common. Countries joining ESPRM after 1991 had significantly lower rates of early supported discharge (-48%, p=0.01) and community-based care (-55%, p=0.02).

conclusionDespite widespread inpatient services, major gaps remain in community- and technology-supported rehabilitation. Addressing these disparities requires targeted policy changes, altered resource allocation, and enhanced training to ensure equitable and effective stroke recovery across Europe.

Indexed as

Stroke RehabilitationCommunity Health ServicesCross-Sectional StudiesEuropeHealthcare DisparitiesHealth Care SurveysHumansRehabilitation CentersStroke

Identifiers

PMID42605919
PMCPMC13488150

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.