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National Service Framework for Older People: stroke coordinators.
Paul S McDonald1, Peter Mayer, Linda Dunn
1Department of Psychology Health and Social Care, University College Worcester.
British Journal of Nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
|November 7, 2002
Summary
Stroke coordinators are crucial for integrated care, but their effectiveness varies. Enhancing their role with more autonomy and accountability is key to meeting National Service Framework goals for older people.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Gerontology
- Public Health Policy
Background:
- The National Service Framework (NSF) for Older People mandates integrated stroke services.
- Stroke coordinators are emphasized to facilitate this integration.
- Understanding the stroke coordinator's role and inter-agency relationships is vital for service improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationships between stroke coordinators and other stroke care agencies.
- To describe the current roles and responsibilities of stroke coordinators.
- To identify factors influencing the effectiveness of stroke coordinators in integrated care.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews.
- 11 stroke coordinators from the West Midlands region participated.
- Grounded theory approach used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- Stroke coordinator roles and service integration levels varied significantly across different localities.
- 'Adhesive' factors positively influenced integration in some areas.
- The absence of key factors limited the effectiveness of the stroke coordinator role in most areas.
Conclusions:
- The stroke coordinator role requires higher visibility, autonomy, accountability, and responsibility.
- Creativity and innovation are essential for post-holders to meet NSF demands.
- Optimizing the stroke coordinator role is critical for successful integrated stroke care delivery.