Benefit of linking hospital resource information and patient-level stroke registry data.

Variation in the delivery of evidence-based care affects outcomes for patients with stroke. A range of hospital (organizational), patient, and clinical factors can affect care delivery. Clinical registries are widely used to monitor stroke care and guide quality improvement efforts within hospitals. However, hospital features are rarely collected. We aimed to explore the influence of hospital resources for stroke, in metropolitan and regional/rural hospitals, on the provision of evidence-based patient care and outcomes. The 2017 National Audit organizational survey (Australia) was linked to patient-level data from the Australian Stroke Clinical Registry (2016-2017 admissions). Regression models were used to assess the associations between hospital resources (based on the 2015 Australian National Acute Stroke Services Framework) and patient care (reflective of national guideline recommendations), as well as 90-180-day readmissions and health-related quality of life. Models were adjusted for patient factors, including the severity of stroke. Fifty-two out of 127 hospitals with organizational survey data were merged with 22 832 Australian Stroke Clinical Registry patients with an admission for a first-ever stroke or transient ischaemic attack (median age 75 years, 55% male, and 66% ischaemic). In metropolitan hospitals (n = 42, 20 977 patients, 1701 thrombolyzed, and 2395 readmitted between 90 and 180 days post stroke), a faster median door-to-needle time for thrombolysis was associated with ≥500 annual stroke admissions [-15.9 minutes, 95% confidence interval (CI) -27.2, -4.7], annual thrombolysis >20 patients (-20.2 minutes, 95% CI -32.0, -8.3), and having specialist stroke staff (dedicated medical lead and stroke coordinator; -12.7 minutes, 95% CI -25.0, -0.4). A reduced likelihood of all-cause readmissions between 90 and 180 days was evident in metropolitan hospitals using care pathways for stroke management (odds ratio 0.82, 95% CI 0.67-0.99). In regional/rural hospitals (n = 10, 1855 patients), being discharged with a care plan was also associated with the use of stroke clinical pathways (odds ratio 3.58, 95% CI 1.45-8.82). No specific hospital resources influenced 90-180-day health-related quality of life. Relevant to all international registries, integrating information about hospital resources with clinical registry data provides greater insights into factors that influence evidence-based care.

Development, implementation, and evaluation of the Australian Stroke Data Tool (AuSDaT): Comprehensive data capturing for multiple uses.

BACKGROUND: Historically, national programs for collecting stroke data in Australia required the use of multiple online tools. Clinicians were required to enter overlapping variables for the same patient in the different databases. From 2013 to 2016, the Australian Stroke Data Tool (AuSDaT) was built as an integrated data management solution. OBJECTIVE: In this article, we have described the development, implementation, and evaluation phases of establishing the AuSDaT. METHOD: In the development phase, a governance structure with representatives from different data collection programs was established. Harmonisation of data variables, drawn from six programs used in hospitals for monitoring stroke care, was facilitated through creating a National Stroke Data Dictionary. The implementation phase involved a staged deployment for two national programs over 12 months. The evaluation included an online survey of people who had used the AuSDaT between March 2018 and May 2018. RESULTS: By July 2016, data entered for an individual patient was, for the first time, shared between national programs. Overall, 119/422 users (90% female, 61% aged 30-49 years, 57% nurses) completed the online evaluation survey. The two most positive features reported about the AuSDaT were (i) accessibility of the system (including simultaneous user access), and (ii) the ability to download reports to benchmark local data against peer hospitals or national performance. More than three quarters of respondents (n = 92, 77%) reported overall satisfaction with the data collection tool. CONCLUSION: The AuSDaT reduces duplication and enables users from different national programs for stroke to enter standardised data into a single system. IMPLICATIONS: This example may assist others who seek to establish a harmonised data management solution for different disease areas where multiple programs of data collection exist. The importance of undertaking continuous evaluation of end-users to identify preferences and aspects of the tool that are not meeting current requirements were illustrated. We also highlighted the opportunities to increase interoperability, utility, and facilitate the exchange of accurate and meaningful data.