scholarly journals Variations in Quality Indicators of Acute Stroke Care in 6 European Countries

Stroke ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 458-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Wiedmann ◽  
Bo Norrving ◽  
Tim Nowe ◽  
Sònia Abilleira ◽  
Kjell Asplund ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Acute Stroke Care

Ten Years of Improving Acute Stroke Management in a Metropolitan Area: A Population-Based Quantification of Quality Indicators

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Anna Alegiani ◽  
Michael Rosenkranz ◽  
Leonie Schmitz ◽  
Susanne Lezius ◽  
Günter Seidel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Stroke Units ◽  
Stroke Treatment ◽  
Acute Stroke Treatment ◽  
Over Time

<b><i>Background and Purpose:</i></b> Rapid access to acute stroke treatment improves clinical outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke. We aimed to shorten the time to admission and to acute stroke treatment for patients with acute stroke in the Hamburg metropolitan area by collaborative multilevel measures involving all hospitals with stroke units, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS), and health-care authorities. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In 2007, an area-wide stroke care quality project was initiated. The project included mandatory admission of all stroke patients in Hamburg exclusively to hospitals with stroke units, harmonized acute treatment algorithms among all hospitals, repeated training of the EMS staff, a multimedia educational campaign, and a mandatory stroke care quality monitoring system based on structured data assessment and quality indicators for procedural measures. We analyzed data of all patients with acute stroke who received inhospital treatment in the city of Hamburg during the evaluation period from the quality assurance database data and evaluated trends of key quality indicators over time. <b><i>Results:</i></b> From 2007 to 2016, a total of 83,395 patients with acute stroke were registered. During this period, the proportion of patients admitted within ≤3 h from symptom onset increased over time from 27.8% in 2007 to 35.2% in 2016 (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). The proportion of patients who received rapid thrombolysis (within ≤30 min after admission) increased from 7.7 to 54.1% (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Collaborative stroke care quality projects are suitable and effective to improve acute stroke care.

Abstract 90: Nursing Education: A Critical Need in the Delivery of High Quality Stroke Care

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Daggett ◽  
Linda Williams ◽  
Nicholas Burrus ◽  
Jennifer Myers ◽  
Laura Plue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Training Needs ◽  
Release Time ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
High Quality ◽  
And Training

Objectives: High quality stroke care is complex, and requires strong multidisciplinary teams, including nurses, to ensure care processes are timely and appropriate. The purpose of this study was to identify training needs of nurses who deliver care to patients who present with acute stroke and are admitted to inpatient units. Methodology: Using semi-structured interviews, we conducted a qualitative study for a formative evaluation in 12 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs) that had ≥ 50 acute ischemic stroke admissions a year and were diverse in the structure of stroke care. The interviews focused on current context and structure of stroke care, including educational practices and training needs. Secondary analyses were conducted, targeting frontline nurse and physician respondents (N = 113) in emergency, acute care and rehabilitation units. Results: Respondents across the sites reported insufficient nurse education and training for acute stroke care as an overarching theme. Moreover, themes related to the acute stroke care quality indicators emerged as areas of competencies that nurses needed training on a continuum: a) timely recognition of acute stroke and transient ischemic attacks, b) NIH Stroke Scale and neurological exams, c) dysphagia screening, d) administration of tissue plasminogen activator and management post treatment, and e) deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis. Themes that were related to structure of stroke care and/or context also emerged and attributed to training challenges across the sites, listed in order of prevalence: a) centralized care versus decentralized care, b) low volume of acute strokes, c) nurse engagement, d) structured acute stroke care education, and e) release time. Conclusions: VA stroke care providers identify educational needs around specific stroke quality indicators, but also describe key barriers including lower volume, time for training and engagement of nursing staff in acute stroke care. Future programs to improve VA stroke care need to address these barriers to optimally support high quality multidisciplinary stroke care.

International translation of Fever, Sugar, Swallow Protocols: The Quality in Acute Stroke Care Europe Project

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 591-594
Author(s):  
S Middleton ◽  
W Pfeilschifter
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
International Collaboration ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Healthcare Systems ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Catholic University ◽  
Preparation Phase ◽  
Evidence Based Nursing

The Quality in Acute Stroke (QASC) trial demonstrated a significant reduction in death and disability when clinicians were assisted to introduce protocols to manage fever, hyperglycaemia (sugar) and swallowing (FeSS) following stroke. We describe a unique international collaboration between the Nursing Research Institute at Australian Catholic University; the European Stroke Organisation; and the Angels Initiative, working collaboratively to support implementation of the nurse-led FeSS Protocols in 20 European countries. We currently have 71 hospitals from 16 countries participating (hospitals from four countries are in the preparation phase) with 49 hospitals currently entering data (n=2819 patients to-date). Baseline data have been received from 39 hospitals, with FeSS Protocol implementation commenced at 16 hospitals. Five hospitals have completed the Project. 'Upscale and spread' of these evidence-based, nursing protocols into countries with vastly different healthcare systems, many of whom also have no access to the latest stroke therapies, is likely to make a significant impact in reducing death and disability after stroke.

Quality indicators in acute stroke care: a prospective observational survey in 13 Italian regions

2013 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Di Carlo ◽  
◽  
Gabriele Accetta ◽  
Marzio Bellan ◽  
Gianna Terni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Italian Regions

scholarly journals Association Between Adherence to Quality Indicators and 7-Day In-Hospital Mortality After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Stroke ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 3664-3672
Author(s):  
Kirsten Haas ◽  
Viktoria Rücker ◽  
Peter Hermanek ◽  
Björn Misselwitz ◽  
Klaus Berger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ischemic Stroke ◽  
Hospital Mortality ◽  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Quality Indicators ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Acute Stroke Care

Background and Purpose: Quality indicators (QI) are an accepted tool to measure performance of hospitals in routine care. We investigated the association between quality of acute stroke care defined by overall adherence to evidence-based QI and early outcome in German acute care hospitals. Methods: Patients with ischemic stroke admitted to one of the hospitals cooperating within the ADSR (German Stroke Register Study Group) were analyzed. The ADSR is a voluntary network of 9 regional stroke registers monitoring quality of acute stroke care across 736 hospitals in Germany. Quality of stroke care was defined by adherence to 11 evidence-based indicators of early processes of stroke care. The correlation between overall adherence to QI with outcome was investigated by assessing the association between 7-day in-hospital mortality with the proportion of QI fulfilled from the total number of QI the individual patient was eligible for. Generalized linear mixed model analysis was performed adjusted for the variables age, sex, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and living will and as random effect for the variable hospital. Results: Between 2015 and 2016, 388 012 patients with ischemic stroke were reported (median age 76 years, 52.4% male). Adherence to distinct QI ranged between 41.0% (thrombolysis in eligible patients) and 95.2% (early physiotherapy). Seven-day in-hospital mortality was 3.4%. The overall proportion of QI fulfilled was median 90% (interquartile range, 75%–100%). In multivariable analysis, a linear association between overall adherence to QI and 7-day in-hospital-mortality was observed (odds ratio adherence <50% versus 100%, 12.7 [95% CI, 11.8–13.7]; P <0.001). Conclusions: Higher quality of care measured by adherence to a set of evidence-based process QI for the early phase of stroke treatment was associated with lower in-hospital mortality.

scholarly journals Bottlenecks in the Acute Stroke Care System during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Catalonia

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Anna Ramos-Pachón ◽  
Álvaro García-Tornel ◽  
Mònica Millán ◽  
Marc Ribó ◽  
Sergi Amaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acute Stroke ◽  
Functional Outcome ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Care Quality ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Stroke Severity ◽  
Acute Stroke Care ◽  
Vessel Occlusion ◽  
Prehospital Delays ◽  
The Impact

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant healthcare reorganizations, potentially striking standard medical care. We investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute stroke care quality and clinical outcomes to detect healthcare system’s bottlenecks from a territorial point of view. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Crossed-data analysis between a prospective nation-based mandatory registry of acute stroke, Emergency Medical System (EMS) records, and daily incidence of COVID-19 in Catalonia (Spain). We included all stroke code activations during the pandemic (March 15–May 2, 2020) and an immediate prepandemic period (January 26–March 14, 2020). Primary outcomes were stroke code activations and reperfusion therapies in both periods. Secondary outcomes included clinical characteristics, workflow metrics, differences across types of stroke centers, correlation analysis between weekly EMS alerts, COVID-19 cases, and workflow metrics, and impact on mortality and clinical outcome at 90 days. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Stroke code activations decreased by 22% and reperfusion therapies dropped by 29% during the pandemic period, with no differences in age, stroke severity, or large vessel occlusion. Calls to EMS were handled 42 min later, and time from onset to hospital arrival increased by 53 min, with significant correlations between weekly COVID-19 cases and more EMS calls (rho = 0.81), less stroke code activations (rho = −0.37), and longer prehospital delays (rho = 0.25). Telestroke centers were afflicted with higher reductions in stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, referrals to endovascular centers, and increased delays to thrombolytics. The independent odds of death increased (OR 1.6 [1.05–2.4], <i>p</i> 0.03) and good functional outcome decreased (mRS ≤2 at 90 days: OR 0.6 [0.4–0.9], <i>p</i> 0.015) during the pandemic period. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> During the COVID-19 pandemic, Catalonia’s stroke system’s weakest points were the delay to EMS alert and a decline of stroke code activations, reperfusion treatments, and interhospital transfers, mostly at local centers. Patients suffering an acute stroke during the pandemic period had higher odds of poor functional outcome and death. The complete stroke care system’s analysis is crucial to allocate resources appropriately.

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