Rate of aphasia among stroke patients discharged from hospitals in the United States

ABSTRACTBackground: Estimated rates of post-stroke aphasia range from 18% to 38%. Despite the existence of several studies that have calculated rates of aphasia among stroke survivors, no specific study has emerged that describes the rate of post-stroke aphasia among stroke patients discharged from acute care hospitals in the United States (US).Aim: To estimate the hospital discharge rate (HDR) of aphasia in stroke patients discharged from acute care hospitals in the US.Methods & Procedures: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) data (2011–2012) derived from a convenience sample of eight states (Oregon, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Arkansas) were analyzed to calculate rate of aphasia.Outcomes & Results: In 2011–2012, among 152,972 adults who were hospitalized for a stroke in the eight representative states, 28,086 (18.4%) were discharged with aphasia. The HDR of aphasia ranged from 14.3% to 24.9% across the eight states over the two-year period. The rate o...