Situation of life and care in patients with a stroke

Despite a large number of available Studies that analyzed and documented stroke patients in acute care only little data are available describing the living and care situation three months after hospital discharge. Most of these few studies come from randomized clinical trials and are restricted to specific outcomes such as mortality and reoccurrence of stroke. Aim of this project, conducted within the "Quality Assurance Stroke Northwest Germany" was a 3-months follow-up assessment of the living and care situation based on a standardized questionnaire. 3632 stroke patients who received initial acute care in 25 hospitals were included in this study. The overall mortality between the day of discharge and the follow-up was 5.0%, the incidence of recurrent stroke 3.5%. Standardized follow-up assessments of patients with a stroke yield important information on the further course of the disease and utilisation of health care which are, in turn, important for the treating physician.