[Organized Post-Stroke Care through Case Management on the Basis of a Standardized Treatment Pathway : Results of a Single-Centre Pilot Study]

Case management-based post-stroke care for patients with acute stroke and TIA (SOS-Care): a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

The high incidence of stroke recurrence necessitates effective post-stroke care. This study investigates the effectiveness of a case management-based post-stroke care program in patients with acute stroke and TIA.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, patients with TIA, ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage were enrolled into a 12-month case management-based program (SOS-Care) along with conventional care. Control patients received only conventional care. The program included home and phone consultations by case managers, focusing on education, medical and social needs and guideline-based secondary prevention. The primary outcome was the composite of stroke recurrence and vascular death after 12 months. Secondary outcomes included vascular risk factor control at 12 months.

RESULTS

From 11/2011 to 12/2020, 1109 patients (17.9% TIA, 77.5% ischemic stroke, 4.6% intracerebral hemorrhage) were enrolled. After 85 (7.7%) dropouts, 925 SOS-Care patients remained for comparative analysis with 99 controls. Baseline characteristics were similar, except for fewer males and less frequent history of dyslipidemia in post-stroke care. At 12 months, post-stroke care was associated with a reduction in the composite endpoint compared to controls (4.9 vs. 14.1%; HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.16-0.56, p < 0.001), with consistent results in ischemic stroke patients alone (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.17-0.61, p < 0.001). Post-stroke care more frequently achieved treatment goals for hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, BMI and adherence to secondary prevention medication (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Case management-based post-stroke care may effectively mitigate the risk of vascular events in unselected stroke patients. These findings could guide future randomized trials investigating the efficacy of case management-based models in post-stroke care.

Development of a patient-oriented navigation model for patients with lung cancer and stroke in Germany

Background

The concept of patient navigation was first established in the USA to support vulnerable patient groups in receiving timely and comprehensive access to cancer care. It has recently gained increasing interest in Germany to support patients with chronic diseases in a fragmented healthcare system. The aim of this paper is to present the development of such a model adapted to the German context based on the results of mixed-methods studies investigating the need for and barriers to patient-oriented care.

Methods

In a process adapted from Delphi rounds, we conducted regular structured workshops with investigators of the project to discuss results of their studies and identify content and structure of the model based on the data. Workshop discussions were structured along seven core components of a navigation model including target patient groups, navigator tasks, occupational background and education of navigators, and patient-navigator interaction mode.

Results

Using an approach based on empirical data of current care practices with special focus on patients’ perspectives, we developed a patient-oriented navigation model for patients who have experienced stroke and lung cancer in the German healthcare context. Patients without personal social support were viewed as struggling most with the healthcare system, as well as multimorbid and elderly patients. Navigators should serve as a longer-term contact person with a flexible contact mode and timing based on the individual situation and preferences of patients. Navigator tasks include the provision of administrative and organizational support as well as referral and guidance to available resources and beneficial health programs with special forms of knowledge. Implementation of the navigator should be flexibly located to ensure a reliable outreach to vulnerable patients for first contact in settings like specialized in-patient and out-patient settings, while navigation itself focuses on care coordination in the out-patient setting.

Conclusion

Flexibility of navigator tasks needed to be a core characteristic of a navigation model to be perceived as supportive from patients’ perspectives. In a subsequent feasibility study, an intervention based on the model will be evaluated according to its acceptance, demand, and practicality.

[Position paper on stroke aftercare of the German Stroke Society-Part 1: long-term care after stroke: status quo of the reality and deficits of care in Germany]

Die Akutversorgung des Schlaganfalls in Deutschland hat ein sehr hohes Niveau, dargestellt durch die Stroke-Units. Die Erkrankung Schlaganfall hat eine Akutphase, gefolgt von einer chronischen Phase mit einem hohen und qualifizierten multi- und interprofessionellen Versorgungsbedarf. Die Deutsche Schlaganfall-Gesellschaft (DSG) hat 2020 eine Nachsorgekommission gegründet, mit dem Ziel der Darstellung der aktuellen Versorgungssituation und zur Erarbeitung von Vorschlägen für eine Verbesserung der Versorgung nach der Akutphase. In dieser Arbeit wird der Status quo ermittelt und Defizite benannt. Analysiert wurden Beiträge unterschiedlicher Beteiligter im deutschen Gesundheitswesen, dargestellt werden unterschiedliche Projekte einer Nachsorge. In Deutschland existiert kein anerkanntes strukturiertes Nachsorgekonzept für Patienten nach einem Schlaganfall. Die bestehende hausarztbasierte Versorgung ohne eine zukünftig stärkere und abgestimmte Integration der Neurologen erschwert eine leitlinien- und qualitätsgesteuerte Nachsorge. Aufgabenverteilungen sowie notwendige Ausbildungsstandards für ihre leitliniengerechte Erfüllung durch die Fachgruppen liegen nicht vor. Zu selten werden neben den medizinischen Domänen die physischen, sozialen und emotionalen Domänen durch ein multiprofessionelles Versorgungsteam beachtet. Zu diskutieren ist eine Weiterentwicklung eines regionalen Care-Management-Konzeptes. Evaluiert werden müssen die Ergebnisse und die Kosten eines Nachsorgekonzeptes vor einer breiten Anwendung.

[Position paper on stroke aftercare of the German Stroke Society-Part 2: concept for a comprehensive stroke aftercare]

Die Schlaganfallnachsorge ist im Gegensatz zur akuten und rehabilitativen Versorgung des Schlaganfalls wenig standardisiert. Der fragmentierte ambulante Sektor erlaubt hierbei ein hohes Maß an Flexibilität, leidet aber folglich an variabler Qualität der Nachsorge. Die Kommission Nachsorge der Deutschen Schlaganfall-Gesellschaft formuliert in diesem Positionspapier ein inhaltliches Konzept, um eine strukturierte Nachsorge mit multiprofessionellem Ansatz zu entwickeln. Diese soll im Sinne einer „Comprehensive-care“-Versorgung und patientenzentriert erfolgen. Dazu schlagen wir ein diagnostisches Stufenkonzept mit Screening und ggf. weitergehender Untersuchung vor, das in Absprache mit den Betroffenen zu einem standardisierten Therapieplan führt, der im Langzeitverlauf entsprechend angepasst werden muss. Inhaltlich sind sowohl internistische Domänen (Management von Risikofaktoren) als auch genuin neurologische Domänen (Spastik, kognitive Defizite etc.) zu berücksichtigen. Besondere Herausforderungen an dieses Konzept sind die sektorenübergreifende (inter- und intrasektorale) Kommunikation zwischen den Akteuren im Gesundheitswesen untereinander sowie mit den Patienten und Angehörigen, die Notwendigkeit zur Schaffung eines Vergütungsmodells für eine solche Nachsorge und letztlich die Etablierung eines entsprechenden Qualitätsmanagements. Digitale Lösungen erachten wir als hilfreiche Werkzeuge für Aspekte der Diagnose, Therapie und Kommunikation in der Schlaganfallnachsorge.

Results of a four-year multi-channel regional program for monitoring stroke survivors in Franche-Comté, France

INTRODUCTION

Clinical monitoring of stroke survivors after hospital discharge was initiated in France in 2012 and funding for its model began in 2016. A regional program in Franche-Comté relying on various assessment methods including telehealth was initiated. The objective of this study was to describe the implementation and quality of the program.

METHODS

A retrospective observational study was conducted from 1^st January 2016 to 31^st December 2019. Patients were included if they were adults, hospitalized for stroke or transient ischemic attack in one of the six public hospitals in the region and discharged alive. There were five types of monitoring methods: physical consultation, day hospital, nurse-led phone consultation, postal mail or medical record analysis. Characteristics, method of monitoring and discharge delay were described.

RESULTS

In total, 7166 patients were identified; male gender predominated (52.9%); mean age was 72.2years. Monitoring coverage increased from 89.2% to 92% within the period. Most patients had ischemic stroke (68.5%, n=4912) and were at home at the time of monitoring (71.6%, n=5130). The main method was nurse-led phone consultations (40.8%, n=2921) followed by physical consultation (16%, n=1143). Day hospital monitoring increased (1.5% to 14.4%) while the postal mail method decreased (18.7% to 8.1%). The average delay decreased from 240.3 to 148.6days. Monitoring period of less than four months was 46.2% in 2019 and 75.3% for thrombolysis. In 2019, 99.3% of patients were being monitored at one year. Mortality decreased from 10% to 6.3%.

DISCUSSION

The program improved over time with an increase in the number of patients and reduction in delays and mortality rate.

Social work support and unmet social needs in life after stroke: a cross-sectional exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Stroke patients are often affected by long-term disabilities with needs concerning social issues. There is relatively little consideration of social recovery of patients and the support required to return to work, receive social benefits, participate in daily life activities, maintain contact with family and friends and to organize financial affairs. In our study we aimed to investigate if existing tools record social needs adequately. We analyzed the current provision of social support provided in long-term care after stroke and whether unmet social needs were associated with quality of life, caregiver burden, overall function and degree of disability.

METHODS

Our analysis is part of the Managing Aftercare of Stroke study (MAS-I), a cross-sectional exploratory study of patient needs 2-3 years after initial stroke. Assessment tools included the Nikolaus-score (social situation), the EuroQoL (quality of life), the German Burden Scale for Family Caregivers (caregiver burden), the modified Rankin Scale (disability / dependence), Stroke Impact Scale (function and degree of disability) and the Stroke Survivor Needs Questionnaire (unmet needs).

RESULTS

Overall 57 patients were included in MAS-I, with ten patients classified in urgent need of socio-economic support according to the Nikolaus-score. Patients with lower than normal Nikolaus-score had a higher degree of disability. Thirty percent of all patients had never received professional social support. Social worker contact happened mostly during the stay in acute hospital or rehabilitation institution. Only four patients (11%) reported long-term support after discharge. Apart from social worker contact during acute care, 43% of patients had unmet needs in the long-term aftercare. Forty percent of all patients included in MAS-I were recommended for social work intervention after an in-depth analysis of their situation. Finally, we saw that unmet social needs were associated with lower quality of life and higher caregiver burden.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest significant unmet needs in social care in long-term stroke patients. Screening tools for unmet social needs such as the Nikolaus-score do not holistically report patients' needs.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinicaltrials.Gov NCT02320994 . Registered 19 December 2014 (retrospectively registered).

Post-stroke care after medical rehabilitation in Germany: a systematic literature review of the current provision of stroke patients

Background

Although Germany’s acute care for stroke patients already has a good reputation, continuous follow-up care is still not widely available, a problem originating in the strict separation of inpatient and outpatient care. This gap in the German health care system does not just lead to patients’ potential readmission to inpatient care and compromise the sustainability of what they have accomplished during medical rehabilitation; it also places a burden on caregivers.

Methods

To illustrate the current procedures on follow-up care of stroke patients in Germany, a systematic literature search was conducted to gather all available evidence. Research articles in the English or German language were searched between 2007 and 2017. Different study designs ranging from non-experimental descriptive studies, expert reports and opinions were included and categorised by two independent researchers. Relevant data was electronically searched through international and national databases and incorporated in a summary grid to investigate research outcomes and realise a narrative synthesis.

Results

A literature search was conducted to identify all relevant information on how current follow-up care is carried out and evaluated in Germany. We identified no systematic reviews on this topic, but included a total of 18 publications of various original studies, reviews and expert opinions. Included study populations also differed in either: experts, caregivers or stroke patients, including their viewpoints on the outpatient care situation of stroke patients; to capture their need for assistance or to investigate caregivers need and use for assistance. So far there is no standardised follow-up care in Germany, but this review reveals that multidisciplinary cooperation within occupational groups in outpatient rehabilitation is a key item that can influence and improve the follow-up care of stroke patients.

Conclusion

This review was conducted to provide a broadly based overview of the current follow-up care of stroke patients in Germany. Both the new implementation of a standardised, discharge service that supports early support, to be initiated this year and numerous approaches are promising steps into the right direction to close the follow-up gap in German health care provision.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-018-3235-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Telemedicine in stroke care]

Telemedicine is already widely used in many telestroke networks and ensures stroke treatment close to the patient's home in rural and medically underserved areas. This is particularly effective when telemedicine is integrated into a stroke unit concept. While telemedically based thrombolysis therapy has become routine practice for many years, practical implementation of comprehensive mechanical thrombectomy and the related processes remains challenging. The main tasks for the future further include development of a structured stroke aftercare system in neurologically underserved areas and permanent assurance of high-quality stroke care in telemedically connected sites.