Developing Patients' Experiences Database After Hospital Discharge: Another Step in Improving Stroke Care.

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess stroke patients' experiences in regards to hospital stay and during discharge. A cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection was conducted including patients (n=135) with first-ever acute stroke, who were admitted in seven Public Hospitals in Greece ("Stroke Units Necessity for Patients, SUN4P" registry). The translated version of the NHS-Stroke Questionnaire in the Greek was used. 48.2% of patients rated their overall experience from the care they received as very good/excellent. 66% of patients reported that they participated in decision making about their care and 21.5% reported not having received help from the hospital's social services regarding any benefits/aids, thus lowering their overall patient experience score (p=0.017). Decision and policymakers must consider factors affecting stroke patients 'experiences during their hospitalization. The development of a national stroke patients' experiences database can help prioritize relevant actions and draw up a commonly accepted management and services redesign framework for patients.