Rural Organisation of Acute Stroke Teams project

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Neurology
• Public Health

Background:

• Improving stroke patient care is a national health priority in Australia, with unique challenges in rural areas.
• Limited uptake of established best-practice guidelines for acute and subacute stroke care necessitates effective implementation strategies.
• The Rural Organisation of Australian Stroke Teams (ROAST) project aimed to enhance evidence-based stroke care in rural hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve services for rural stroke patients through better organization of care.
• To promote the adoption of nationally recognized key performance indicators for stroke care.
• To provide audit and feedback mechanisms to participating rural hospitals.

Main Methods:

• A prospective observational study design was employed.
• Implementation support strategies were utilized to encourage guideline adherence.
• Audit and feedback on key performance indicators were provided to six participating Victorian hospitals.

Main Results:

• Data were collected on 348 stroke patients across six hospitals.
• Significant improvements, over 10%, were observed in adherence to 10 out of 11 key performance indicators.
• Adherence levels at the project's conclusion favorably compared to those in metropolitan hospitals.

Conclusions:

• The ROAST project successfully supported clinicians in implementing evidence-based acute stroke care guidelines.
• The project demonstrated the feasibility of delivering best-practice stroke care in rural Australian settings.
• This initiative highlights the potential for improving stroke outcomes in underserved regions.