The impact of a toolkit on use of standardised measurement tools in stroke rehabilitation

Ask your doctor what the hell is in such a toolkit and why aren't they using one?
What is the WSO doing to promote this?
http://cre.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/12/10/0269215514562590.abstract

1. SF Tyson1
2. L Burton1,2
3. A McGovern2

1. ¹Stroke Research Centre, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, University of Manchester UK
2. ²Greater Manchester Strategic Clinical Network, UK

1. Sarah F Tyson, Stroke Research Centre, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, Jean McFarlane Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK. Email: Sarah.Tyson@manchester.ac.uk

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a toolkit of psychometrically robust measurement tools, the Greater Manchester Assessment for Stroke Rehabilitation (G-MASTER) toolkit, on the use of measurement tools during stroke rehabilitation

Design: Mixed methods cohort design using non-participant observation of multi-disciplinary team meetings and semi-structured interviews with members of the team over three months before and three months after implementation of the assessment toolkit. Development and implementation of the toolkit are also described.

Setting: Ten in-patient stroke services in a large UK city.

Subjects: Members of the participating multi-disciplinary stroke teams.

Results: Before implementation standardised measures were seldom used in team meetings. After implementation, use of all measurement tools significantly increased (36% to 81% of occasions, P<0.000). Staff were generally positive about the toolkit and felt it enabled more accurate problem identification, effective progress monitoring, timely decision-making, communication and promoted inter-team relationships.

Conclusions: A toolkit of standardised measurement tools can be feasibly and acceptably implemented into stroke rehabilitation. It increases the use of measurement tools by the multi-disciplinary team and improves the processes and quality of care.

(Notice that nothing is said about improving RESULTS)