Improving quality in stroke rehabilitation

Use of EQ-5D-5L for Assessing Patient-Reported Outcomes in a National Register for Specialized Rehabilitation

OBJECTIVE

To compare problems reported on EQ-5D-5L dimensions, index, and EQ visual analog scale (VAS) scores in patients receiving specialized rehabilitation in Norway with general population norms.

DESIGN

Multicenter observational study.

SETTING

Five specialist rehabilitation facilities participating in a national rehabilitation register between March 11, 2020, and April 20, 2022.

PARTICIPANTS

1167 inpatients admitted (N=1167), with a mean age of 56.1 (range, 18-91) years; 43% were female.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

EQ-5D-5L dimension, index, and EQ VAS scores.

RESULTS

At admission, mean±SD EQ-5D-5L index scores were 0.48 (0.31) compared to 0.82 (0.19) for general population norms. EQ VAS scores were 51.29 (20.74) compared to 79.46 (17.53) for population norms. Together with those for the 5 dimensions, these differences were all statistically significant (P<.01). Compared to population norms, patients undergoing rehabilitation had more health states as assessed by the 5 dimensions (550 vs 156) and EQ VAS (98 vs 49). As hypothesized, EQ-5D-5L scores were associated with number of diagnoses, admission to/from secondary care, and help with completion. At discharge there were statistically significant improvements in all EQ-5D-5L scores that compare favorably with available estimates for minimal important differences.

CONCLUSIONS

The large deviations in scores at admission and score changes at discharge lend support to EQ-5D-5L application in national quality measurement. Evidence for construct validity was found through associations with number of secondary diagnoses and help with completion.

Development of a Set of Indicators for Measuring and Improving Quality of Rehabilitation Care after Ischemic Stroke

Stroke is the leading global cause of permanent disability and the second leading cause of dementia within the first year of the event. Systematic quality improvement interventions such as Audit & Feedback (A&F) can monitor and improve the performance of post-stroke care in conjunction with the use of quality indicators (QIs). The scientific literature shows limited studies on quality improvement and QIs design for poststroke rehabilitation. In Italy, the National Outcomes Evaluation Programme (PNE) annually provides several QIs concerning the acute wards. On the contrary, indicators for quality assessment of post-acute stroke rehabilitation are not available nationwide. In recent years, the Italian Ministry of Health has funded a national network project, the aim of which is to provide and evaluate the effectiveness of A&F strategies in healthcare improvement. Part of this project is the development of a set of IQs for ischemic stroke rehabilitation used to conduct an A&F. In this study, we describe the design and development process of these QIs from administrative databases and report the results of the pilot test conducted on a small sample of Sicilian rehabilitation facilities, comparing them from 2019 to 2021. Feedback from the participating centers was mainly positive, and the quality indicators were found to be comprehensible and appreciated. However, the study highlighted the need for better adherence to indicators measuring processes of rehabilitation care. The set of quality indicators presented in this study, relevant to inpatient settings, could be considered a starting point on which to base quality improvement initiatives both nationally and internationally.

Quality Improvement in Stroke Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review

Background

Quality improvement interventions are used extensively in health care, aiming to improve delivery and promote best practice. The impact of quality improvement interventions implemented in stroke rehabilitation remains unclear.

Objective

The aim of this scoping review is to examine the different types of published quality improvement interventions in stroke rehabilitation and their impact on improving the quality of care.

Materials and Methods

A scoping review was performed in the PubMed, Embase and CINAHL databases. QI studies evaluating interventions for stroke rehabilitation patients that were published up to August 2020 were included. The review looked at the types of quality improvement interventions that have been evaluated as well as the improvements/impacts reported for quality improvement interventions for stroke patients in rehabilitation.

Results

We reviewed 1580 studies, twelve quality improvement interventions met inclusion criteria and were included in the current study. Six studies involved organizational change, three studies involved provider education and audit-feedback and three studies involved provider education. Of the twelve quality improvement interventions that have been included, >90% reported improvements (91.6%). In the majority of cases, improvements were noted through implementation of a myriad of interventions. Several facilitators and barriers were noted during implementation and contributed to success or failure of the intervention.

Conclusion

There is paucity of full-text peer-reviewed published research investigating quality improvement interventions for improving the quality of care in stroke rehabilitation. The current review offers value to healthcare providers in terms of key success factors, contextual factors, barriers and facilitators associated with improvements in stroke rehabilitation.

Implementing a system to evaluate quality assurance in rehabilitation in Greece

BACKGROUND

Use of a widely accepted quality assurance tool is an essential procedure of effective and result-oriented quality management in the rehabilitation sector, and generally in health care and social services, but is still lacking in Greece.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore to what extent a Quality Assurance System in Rehabilitation (QASR) in the Greek setting could respond to the needs for quality evaluation of the facilities for people with a disability and to discuss possibilities of its use in rehabilitation organizations, sites and hospitals.

METHODS

The European Quality in Social Services (EQUASS) Assurance self-assessment questionnaire was officially translated and used as the basis for the new tool, which consisted of 110 questions in 11 sections on development and 6 questions on its evaluation. This tool was tested in 15 specialized centers.

RESULTS

The study received a high (93.75%) response rate. Overall score ranged from 11% to one perfect 100%; 53.3% of the facilities fell short of the preset qualification standards, while 4 (26.7%) were qualified for level-1 accreditation. Evaluation of the QASR questionnaire for the function of the rehabilitation facilities for the disabled was extremely positive.

CONCLUSIONS

The EQUASS assurance-based Greek QASR has received proper attention in its first implementation and it was shown promising to assess the needs of sites that would like to improve their services. The next steps are to establish its validity and reliability so that it can significantly emerge as the standard system for guiding policy in the rehabilitation sector in Greece.

Regional variation in stroke rehabilitation outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To examine and describe regional variation in outcomes for persons with stroke receiving inpatient medical rehabilitation.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort design.

SETTING

Inpatient rehabilitation units and facilities contributing to the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation from the United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients (N=143,036) with stroke discharged from inpatient rehabilitation during 2006 and 2007.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Community discharge, length of stay (LOS), and discharge functional status ratings (motor, cognitive) across 10 geographic service regions defined by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

RESULTS

Approximately 71% of the sample was discharged to the community. After adjusting for covariates, the percentage discharged to the community varied from 79.1% in the Southwest (CMS region 9) to 59.4% in the Northeast (CMS region 2). Adjusted LOS varied by 2.1 days, with CMS region 1 having the longest LOS at 18.3 days and CMS regions 5 and 9 having the shortest at 16.2 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Rehabilitation outcomes for persons with stroke varied across CMS regions. Substantial variation in discharge destination and LOS remained after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.

Satisfaction with rehabilitation in relation to self-perceived quality of life and function among patients with stroke - a 12 month follow-up

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Stroke causes complex disability and function, and perceived quality of life has been shown to correlate with satisfaction with care as well as with life in general among stroke patients. The aim of this study was to study the relation of satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided with self-perceived quality of life, self-perceived function and rehabilitation received, 12 months after the incidence.

METHOD

The subjects were assessed 12 months after the onset of stroke. The Barthel index was used to measure function, and the EuroQol-5D to measure quality of life. To measure satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided, a questionnaire from the Swedish Stroke Register was used.

RESULTS

Two hundred and eighty-three patients participated in the follow-up, 137 women and 146 men, aged between 42 and 95 years (mean age 75.2, SD 11.8). For the majority of patients rehabilitation was initiated at in-hospital care (directly after onset). One hundred and sixty-eight patients considered that rehabilitation was well provided for. Sixty-six regarded that the rehabilitation was only partly provided for and 35 that it was not provided for at all. High value on Barthel Index was associated with satisfaction with how rehabilitation was provided for (OR 2.81). Also, rehabilitation on three or more levels was negatively associated with satisfaction with rehabilitation provision (OR 0.24) and so was being male (OR 0.49).

CONCLUSION

In this study, patients with higher values on Barthel Index were more satisfied with how rehabilitation was provided for. However, male patients and patients who received rehabilitation on three or more levels of care were less satisfied. Given the assumption that patients with more severe dysfunction after stroke are being rehabilitated on more levels, this might imply that it is not the amount of rehabilitation that gives satisfaction but the patients self-perceived function after rehabilitation.