Influence of stroke coordinators on delivery of acute stroke care and hospital outcomes: An observational study

Background Stroke coordinators have been inconsistently used in various countries to support stroke care in hospital. Aim To investigate the association between stroke coordinators and the provision of evidence-based care and patient outcomes in hospitals with acute stroke units. Methods Observational study using cross-sectional data from the 2015 National Acute Services Audit Program (Australia): including a retrospective medical record audit (40 records from each hospital) and a self-reported survey of organizational resources for stroke. Multilevel random effects logistic regression for patient outcomes including complications, independence on discharge, and death. Median regression for length of stay comparisons. Results A total of 109 hospitals submitted 4060 cases; 59 (54%) had a stroke coordinator. Compared with patients from stroke unit hospitals with no stroke coordinator (N=33, 1333 cases), patients in stroke unit hospitals with a stroke coordinator (N=53, 2072 cases) were more likely to receive clinical practices including rehabilitation therapy within 48 hours of initial assessment (88 vs. 82%, p<0.001), risk factor modification advice (62 vs. 55%, p=0.003) and receive a discharge care plan (65 vs. 48%, p<0.001). No differences in complications, independence on discharge, or deaths were evident. Patients from hospitals with a stroke coordinator were more likely to access inpatient rehabilitation (adjusted odds ratio 1.8, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.8) and have a reduced length of acute stay if discharged (median 14h, p=0.03). Conclusion Presence of stroke coordinators was associated with reduced length of stay and improved delivery of evidence-based care in hospitals with a stroke unit.