Hospitals that participate in "Get With The Guidelines–Stroke," a quality improvement program for stroke care developed by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, are linked to providing better care, a study published in JAMA Neurology found.
In the study, 546 patients developed an ischemic stroke during follow-up. Of patients with stroke, 207 (36 percent) were treated in a hospital participating in the program and 339 were treated in a nonparticipating hospital.
The researchers looked at several measures to compare stroke care quality measures between participating and nonparticipating hospitals, including neurologist evaluation, weight loss and exercise counseling, education on stroke risk factors and assessment for rehabilitation.
The odds of receiving five of 10 quality care metrics were higher among 207 patients admitted to a hospital participating in the program compared to 339 admitted to a hospital that did not participate, the study found.
"These data collected independently of the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program document were associated with increased frequency of many aspects of care quality for hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke at hospitals participating in Get With The Guidelines–Stroke," the researchers concluded.
More articles on clinical leadership and infection control:
CDC: Rare polio-like illness on the rise among children
168M flu shots available this season
FDA: Adults under 45 now eligible for HPV vaccine