Preferences, barriers and facilitators for establishing comprehensive stroke units: a multidisciplinary survey

To determine the preferences of multidisciplinary stroke clinicians for models of inpatient stroke unit care and perceived barriers to establishing a comprehensive stroke unit (CSU) model (acute and rehabilitation care in the same ward).

Written questionnaires distributed and completed at multidisciplinary stroke unit case conferences in NSW, Australia.

Twenty hospitals with 22 stroke units were surveyed, 13 acute stroke units, 7 rehabilitation stroke units, 2 CSUs. Two hundred and twenty-eight respondents: 99 (43.4%) allied health, 72 (31.6%) nurses and 57 (25.0%) doctors. One hundred and fifty-one respondents (67.0%) thought CSU to be the best model. Seventy-three % of doctors and 79% of allied health preferred CSU v. 57% of nurses (P=0.041). Of doctors, rehabilitation specialists were most likely to favour comprehensive model (84.2%) and neurologists least (57.0%). The main perceived advantages of CSU were reduced cost and improved functional outcomes; perceived disadvantages were increased workload and unwell patients unable to participate in rehabilitation. Main perceived barriers to establishing CSU were lack of space, money, staffing and time.

Although most current stroke unit care in NSW is based on the traditional model of acute and rehabilitation components in separate wards or hospitals, the majority of multidisciplinary stroke team clinicians believe CSU is the optimum model. What is known about the topic? Stroke unit care is known to improve survival and dependency but the optimum model of care is unproven, despite some small studies suggesting that the CSU model may result in better outcomes. What does this paper add? This paper is the first to survey stroke clinicians from various disciplines and types of unit, to determine their preferences for stroke unit model. What are the implications for practitioners? A majority of clinicians expressed a preference for the CSU model, suggesting that most would be comfortable caring for patients in both acute and rehabilitation phases of stroke care if further such units are established.