Measuring the quality of dysphagia management practices following stroke: A systematic review

Abstract

Adherence to recommended clinical practices improves stroke outcomes. As a result, stroke clinicians are increasingly expected to evaluate the quality of the care they provide so that areas for improvement can be targeted. Finding the best method to evaluate the quality of dysphagia management can be challenging.Aim To systematically review process indicators used to assess the quality of care provided to patients with dysphagia following acute stroke and examine the level of evidence underpinning these indicators.Methods Databases were systematically searched to identify publications (January 2006-April 2009) that describe process indicators relating to the clinical management of acute stro..