Letter by Dijkland et al Regarding Article, "Development and Validation of a Predictive Model for Functional Outcome After Stroke Rehabilitation: The Maugeri Model"

To the Editor:
With great interest, we read the study by Scrutinio et al, which describes the development and validation of the Maugeri model that predicts functional outcome after inpatient stroke rehabilitation based on easily obtainable clinical characteristics. We agree with the authors that prediction of functional outcome after stroke rehabilitation is important to inform patients and relatives on prognosis and to identify rehabilitation goals. The authors performed external validation of the model, which is crucial to evaluate generalizability.
However, we noted opportunities for methodological improvement in the development and validation of the Maugeri model. More specifically, do the modeling strategies that were used support the authors’ conclusion on applicability in clinical practice?
We will address some key methodological concepts and provide recommendations for future stroke prediction research. [...]