COMPASS: helping stroke survivors transition home and reduce disability
Official title: Compass: A Novel Transition Program to Reduce Disability After a Stroke
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11310179 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program helps stroke survivors leaving inpatient rehab by providing home modifications and self-management coaching to reduce barriers and improve independence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | August 28, 2017 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $734,575 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD092398-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310179 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21+) who recently had a stroke and are leaving inpatient rehabilitation to return to a home setting are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not returning to a private or modifiable home environment, who require long-term institutional care, or who are medically unstable may not benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would receive the COMPASS program at home right after leaving inpatient rehabilitation, including simple home modifications (for example, grab bars) and coaching to help you solve everyday barriers on your own. Participants are randomly assigned to COMPASS or to usual care so researchers can compare real-world outcomes. The team will track rehospitalizations, skilled nursing facility admissions, falls, and how well people reintegrate into their communities. Earlier feasibility and phase IIb work showed COMPASS can reduce home barriers and hinted at better health outcomes, and this larger trial aims to confirm those results and learn how to spread the program more widely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, COMPASS could help people avoid falls, rehospitalizations, and long-term nursing care while increasing independence at home.
How similar studies have gone: Early feasibility work and a phase IIb trial showed reduced environmental barriers and suggested lower nursing-home admissions and deaths, but a larger randomized trial is needed to confirm benefits.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stark, Susan Lynn — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Stark, Susan Lynn
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.