Comparative Global Analysis of Stroke Rehabilitation Recommendations Across Income Levels.

BACKGROUND: Successful implementation of stroke rehabilitation guidelines demands high-quality practice standards tailored to targeted sociodemographic contexts.

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a scoping review to determine the quality differences in post-stroke rehabilitation practice guidelines (PGs), when comparing high-income countries (HIC) and low or middle-income countries (LMIC).

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: PGs available in English or Spanish between 2012 and 2021, providing recommendations on post-stroke rehabilitation.

SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: Search engines, databases, guideline libraries, gray literature, and references from previous reviews on post-stroke rehabilitation.

METHODS: Quality assessment of PGs was performed using 6P's, ELSE, IOM, and AGREE II instruments. We evaluated each item using a scale between 0 to 3, based on the confidence of adherence to the standard. For AGREE II, we followed the instruction manual for scoring. At least two reviewers were independently involved in every step of the process. A cloud-based spreadsheet was used to chart data. We compared the results of PGs originating from HIC with those from MIC.

RESULTS: The inclusion criteria were met by 35 documents, which were subjected to evaluation. The study included 21 documents from HIC and 14 from middle-income countries (MIC). No manuscripts from low-income countries were available for inclusion in the study. The quality of PGs from MIC was found to be lower, in terms of methodological rigor and adherence to international recommendations for guidelines development. PGs from both groups of countries failed to include all target audiences and stakeholders (according to the 6P's criteria) and integration of ethical, legal, social, and economic considerations (ELSE).

CONCLUSIONS: There are gaps in the quality and availability of stroke rehabilitation guidelines worldwide, especially in LMIC. Designing and providing financial support for the implementation of high-quality guidelines will contribute to more effective implementation strategies in stroke rehabilitation programs and lead to improved patient outcomes.