Table 1 Inclusion/exclusion criteria in PICOS form
PICOS element | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
|---|---|---|
Population | Stroke* or stroke-like patients who had their first symptoms during the past seven days prior to hospital admission, which includes: | Stroke patients who passed the acute phase (first seven days) on symptom onset |
● Patients admitted to hospital for suspected or confirmed recent stroke. | ||
● Patients with recent onset of transient ischemic attack (TIA) or other cerebrovascular diseases, as the diagnosis of stroke may be not certain at the admission to the hospital. | ||
Intervention | Stroke units** that accepted patients in the acute phase of stroke onset, which includes: | ● Mixed rehabilitation ward |
● Mobile stroke team | ||
● Acute stroke unit | ● Rehabilitation stroke unit | |
● Comprehensive stroke unit | ||
Comparators | Alternative care for acute stroke | |
Outcomes | Studies that reported at least one of the following endpoints: | |
● Number of deaths by the end of the scheduled follow-up | ||
● Number of dependent patients by the end of the scheduled follow-up | ||
● Number of patients who were institutionalized by the end of the scheduled follow-up | ||
● Composite endpoints combined by two of the endpoints mentioned above | ||
Study design | Randomized or non-randomized controlled trials |