Improvements in the quality of care and health outcomes with new stroke care units following implementation of a clinician-led, health system redesign programme in New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Background and objectives: Provision of evidence-based hospital stroke care is limited worldwide. In Australia, about a fifth of public hospitals provide stroke care units (SCUs). In 2001, the New South Wales (NSW) state government funded a clinician-led, health system redesign programme that included inpatient stroke services. Our objective was to determine the effects of this initiative for improving: (i) access to SCUs and care quality and (ii) health outcomes. Design, setting and participants: Preintervention- postintervention design (12 months prior and a minimum 6-12 months following SCU implementation). Retrospective, public hospital audit of 50 consecutive medical records per time pe..