What aspects of rehabilitation provision contribute to self-reported met needs for rehabilitation one year after stroke - amount, place, operator or timing?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To a large extent, people who have suffered a stroke report unmet needs for rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to explore aspects of rehabilitation provision that potentially contribute to self-reported met needs for rehabilitation 12 months after stroke with consideration also to severity of stroke. METHODS: The participants (n = 173) received care at the stroke units at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. Using a questionnaire, the dependent variable, self-reported met needs for rehabilitation, was collected at 12 months after stroke. The independent variables were four aspects of rehabilitation provision based on data retrieved from registers and structured according to four aspects: amount of rehabilitation, service level (day care rehabilitation, primary care rehabilitation and home-based rehabilitation), operator level (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist) and time after stroke onset. Multivariate logistic regression analyses regarding the aspects of rehabilitation were performed for the participants who were divided into three groups based on stroke severity at onset. RESULTS: Participants with moderate/severe stroke who had seen a physiotherapist at least once during each of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd-4th quarters of the first year (OR 8.36, CI 1.40-49.88 P = 0.020) were more likely to report met rehabilitation needs. CONCLUSION: For people with moderate/severe stroke, continuity in rehabilitation (preferably physiotherapy) during the first year after stroke seems to be associated with self-reported met needs for rehabilitation.

Unfulfilled rehabilitation needs and dissatisfaction with care 12 months after a stroke : an explorative observational study

BACKGROUND: People who have suffered a stroke commonly report unfulfilled need for rehabilitation. Using a model of patient satisfaction, we examined characteristics in individuals that at 3 months after stroke predicted, or at 12 months were associated with unmet need for rehabilitation or dissatisfaction with health care services at 12 months after stroke. METHODS: The participants (n = 175) received care at the stroke units at the Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. The dependent variables "unfulfilled needs for rehabilitation" and "dissatisfaction with care" were collected using a questionnaire. Stroke severity, domains of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS), the Sense of Coherence scale (SOC) and socio demographic factors were used as independent variables in four logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Unfulfilled needs for rehabilitation at 12 months were predicted by strength (SIS) (odds ratio (OR) 7.05) at three months, and associated with hand function (SIS) (OR 4.38) and poor self-rated recovery (SIS) (OR 2.46) at 12 months. Dissatisfaction with care was predicted by SOC (OR 4.18) and participation (SIS) (OR 3.78), and associated with SOC (OR 3.63) and strength (SIS) (OR 3.08). CONCLUSIONS: Thirty-three percent of the participants reported unmet needs for rehabilitation and fourteen percent were dissatisfied with the care received. In order to attend to rehabilitation needs when they arise, rehabilitation services may need to be more flexible in terms of when rehabilitation is provided. Long term services with scheduled re-assessments and with more emphasis on understanding the experiences of both the patients and their social networks might better be able to provide services that attend to patients' needs and aid peoples' reorientation; this would apply particularly to those with poor coping capacity.

Depicting the interplay between organisational tiers in the use of a national quality registry to develop quality of care in Sweden

BACKGROUND: With a pending need to identify potential means to improved quality of care, national quality registries (NQRs) are identified as a promising route. Yet, there is limited evidence with regards to what hinders and facilitates the NQR innovation, what signifies the contexts in which NQRs are applied and drive quality improvement. Supposedly, barriers and facilitators to NQR-driven quality improvement may be found in the healthcare context, in the politico-administrative context, as well as with an NQR itself. In this study, we investigated the potential variation with regards to if and how an NQR was applied by decision-makers and users in regions and clinical settings. The aim was to depict the interplay between the clinical and the politico-administrative tiers in the use of NQRs to develop quality of care, examining an established registry on stroke care as a case study. METHODS: We interviewed 44 individuals representing the clinical and the politico-administrative settings of 4 out of 21 regions strategically chosen for including stroke units representing a variety of outcomes in the NQR on stroke (Riksstroke) and a variety of settings. The transcribed interviews were analysed by applying The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). RESULTS: In two regions, decision-makers and/or administrators had initiated healthcare process projects for stroke, engaging the health professionals in the local stroke units who contributed with, for example, local data from Riksstroke. The Riksstroke data was used for identifying improvement issues, for setting goals, and asserting that the stroke units achieved an equivalent standard of care and a certain level of quality of stroke care. Meanwhile, one region had more recently initiated such a project and the fourth region had no similar collaboration across tiers. Apart from these projects, there was limited joint communication across tiers and none that included all individuals and functions engaged in quality improvement with regards to stroke care. CONCLUSIONS: If NQRs are to provide for quality improvement and learning opportunities, advances must be made in the links between the structures and processes across all organisational tiers, including decision-makers, administrators and health professionals engaged in a particular healthcare process.

Factors facilitating a national quality registry to aid clinical quality improvement : findings of a national survey

Objectives: While national quality registries (NQRs) are suggested to provide opportunities for systematic follow-up and learning opportunities, and thus clinical improvements, features in registries and contexts triggering such processes are not fully known. This study focuses on one of the world's largest stroke registries, the Swedish NQR Riksstroke, investigating what aspects of the registry and healthcare organisations facilitate or hinder the use of registry data in clinical quality improvement. Methods: Following particular qualitative studies, we performed a quantitative survey in an exploratory sequential design. The survey, including 50 items on context, processes and the registry, was sent to managers, physicians and nurses engaged in Riksstroke in all 72 Swedish stroke units. Altogether, 242 individuals were presented with the survey; 163 responded, representing all but two units. Data were analysed descriptively and through multiple linear regression. Results: A majority (88%) considered Riksstroke data to facilitate detection of stroke care improvement needs and acknowledged that their data motivated quality improvements (78%). The use of Riksstroke for quality improvement initiatives was associated (R2=0.76) with ‘Colleagues’ call for local results’ (p=<0.001), ‘Management Request of Registry data’ (p=<0.001), and it was said to be ‘Simple to explain the results to colleagues’ (p=0.02). Using stepwise regression, ‘Colleagues’ call for local results’ was identified as the most influential factor. Yet, while 73% reported that managers request registry data, only 39% reported that their colleagues call for the unit's Riksstroke results. Conclusions: While an NQR like Riksstroke demonstrates improvement needs and motivates stakeholders to make progress, local stroke care staff and managers need to engage to keep the momentum going in terms of applying registry data when planning, performing and evaluating quality initiatives.

"Det är mycket man inte vill minnas" : Upplevelse av kognitiv rehabilitering och livskvalitet samt innebörd av livskvalitet vid stroke

Syftet med denna kvalitativa studie var att beskriva upplevelse och innebörd av begreppen kognitiv rehabilitering och livskvalitet för personer som hade haft stroke. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av personliga intervjuer. Fem personer ingick i studien, tre män och två kvinnor, alla födda på 30-talet utom en man som föddes på 20-talet. Samtliga var gifta. Personerna rekryterades till studien via en sjuksköterska som hade kännedom om lämpliga personer som blivit utskrivna en kort tid före studiens början. Informanterna intervjuades med hjälp av en intervjuguide med utgångspunkt från två frågeområden som berörde upplevelse av kognitiv rehabilitering och upplevelse och innebörd av livskvalitet efter stroke. Analysen gjordes med hjälp av innehållsanalys. Analysen av de fem intervjuerna gav sex teman; Upplevelse av att inte någon kognitiv rehabilitering har utförts, Upplevelse av att informanten själv förväntades träna upp sina kognitiva funktioner, Strävan efter att leva som vanligt, Förändrad livskvalité, Förändrad livssyn, Betydelsen av det sociala stödet. Det framkom att ingen av informanterna upplevde att det hade genomförts någon kognitiv rehabilitering. Alla upplevde sig däremot ha fått en fullständig fysisk rehabilitering på avdelningen. Informanterna hade som mål med sin rehabilitering att klara av de vardagliga funktionerna i hemmet såsom innan stroken. En av deltagarna upplevde att det förväntades att självständigt träna upp sina kognitiva funktioner. Livskvaliteten idag var att kunna fortsätta leva som förut, vilket förhindrades av vissa inskränkningar motoriskt och kognitivt. Alla värdesatte livet högre idag och accepterade sin situation som den var. Vänskapen med andra var också en viktig del i livskvaliteten.

Dysfagi efter stroke : Omvårdnadsåtgärder för att underlätta näringsintag och måltidssituationer

Dysfagi betyder svårt att svälja och innefattar många olika problem. Det kan vara svårigheter med att få födan att passera från munnen bakåt till svalget, att riskera att få ner mat och dryck i lungorna vilket ger lungkomplikationer. En känsla av att maten fastnar i bröstet men också ett hot om isolering. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att undersöka patientens egna upplevelser av måltidssituationer, hur malnutrition kan förebyggas samt vilka omvårdnadsåtgärder som underlättar ätandet för patienter som i samband med en stroke drabbats av dysfagi. Artiklar har sökts i databaserna Blackwell Synergy, Swemed+, Elin@Dalarna och Medline. Manuellt har litteratur sökts på Ludvika Kommuns bibliotek och bland tidigare studielitteratur. Urvalet begränsades till att beröra patienter som fått dysfagi i samband med en stroke vidare skulle artiklarna ha en relevans till syfte och frågeställning. Till resultat delen har 12 artiklar använts. Munvård och konsistensanpassning av mat och dryck är omvårdnadsåtgärder som visat sig ge bra resultat vidare är det viktigt med lugn vid matbordet och att måltiden får ta den tid den tar. Att dricka en kopp kaffe kan ta en timme för en person med dysfagi. Nyttan av information och tips om olika knep, tekniska hjälpmedel och träning är inte att förringa.

Ätsvårigheter efter stroke : Upplevelser och stöd

Syftet med litteraturstudien var att belysa strokepatienters upplevelser av måltissituationen samt beskriva de vanligaste ätsvårigheterna som strokepatienter kan ha samt att undersöka hur vårdpersonal kan hjälpa vid ätsvårigheter. Studien genomfördes som en litteraturstudie som baserades på 12 vetenskapliga artiklar. Artiklarna söktes via hörskolan dalarnas sökmotorer/databaser och sökorden som kombinerades var dysphagia, eating situation, nursing, nutrition och stroke. Artiklarna granskades enlig modifierade granskningsmallar. Resultatet visar på att strokedrabbade kunde uppleva sina svårigheter vid måltiden som pinsamma. Patienterna hade en strävan att återgå till det normala. Vanliga ätsvårigheter var att stokepatienterna hade tugg och sväljproblem och att patienterna hade en dålig sittposition under måltiden. Några hade svårt att transportera maten till munnen och hade nedsatt vakenhet under måltiden och smak och luktförändringar var vanliga. Det stöd som vårdpersonal kunde ge strokepatienterna med sväljsvårigheter var att anpassa konsistensen på mat och dryck. Genom att göra läpp och tungövningar och sväljträning kunde sväljförmågan förbättras för patienter med dysfagi. Resultatet visade även att de som vårdats på rehabiliteringsavdelning hade förbättrad sittposition samt lättare att transportera maten till munnen och mindre påverkade sväljsvårigheter.

Kommunikation med patienter som har afasi till följd av stroke : En litteraturöversikt

Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturöversikt var att beskriva hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalens upplevelser av kommunikation med patienter som drabbats av afasi till följd av stroke. Vidare var syftet att beskriva vad det kunde finnas för hinder för en god kommunikation dem emellan. Ett ytterligare syfte var att beskriva de faktorer som kunde underlätta kommunikation mellan hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal och patienter som har afasi till följd av stroke. Metod: Artikelsökning till denna litteraturöversikt gjordes i PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane och Vård i Norden. Artiklarna var publicerade mellan åren 2000-2010 samt skrivna på svenska eller engelska. Huvudresultat: En fungerande vårdrelation var en grundförutsättning för att bedriva en god omvårdnad. För skapandet av denna vårdrelation behövdes en lugn, stödjande och avslappnande miljö. Asymmetri förekom i olika varianter i kommunikation mellan hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal och patienter med afasi. Hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal upplevde både negativa och positiva känslor i interaktionen med patienten. Slutsats: Att plötsligt förlora sin kommunikationsförmåga genom det verbala språket har påvisats vara en tragedi för den drabbade. Det ställde krav på hälso- och sjukvårdspersonalen vars uppgift var att bevara patientens autonomi och integritet. För att både hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal samt patienter skulle må bra och kunna kommunicera så framkom det att strokeenheter kunde vara betydelsefulla.

The core characteristics and nursing care activities in psychiatric intensive care units in Sweden

Internationally, research on psychiatric intensive care units (PICUs) commonly reportsresults from demographic studies such as criteria for admission, need for involuntary treatment, andthe occurrence of violent behaviour. A few international studies describe the caring aspect of thePICUs based specifically on caregivers’ experiences. The concept of PICU in Sweden is not clearlydefined. The aim of this study is to describe the core characteristics of a PICU in Sweden and todescribe the care activities provided for patients admitted to the PICUs. Critical incident techniquewas used as the research method. Eighteen caregivers at a PICU participated in the study bycompleting a semistructured questionnaire. In-depth interviews with three nurses and two assistantnurses also constitute the data. An analysis of the content identified four categories that characterizethe core of PICU: the dramatic admission, protests and refusal of treatment, escalating behaviours, andtemporarily coercive measure. Care activities for PICUs were also analysed and identified as controlling– establishing boundaries, protecting – warding off, supporting – giving intensive assistance, andstructuring the environment. Finally, the discussion put focus on determining the intensive aspect ofpsychiatric care which has not been done in a Swedish perspective before. PICUs were interpreted asa level of care as it is composed by limited structures and closeness in care.

Biomarkers of extracellular matrix metabolism (MMP-9 and TIMP-1) and risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and cause-specific mortality : cohort study

Objective: Turnover of the extracellular matrix in all solid organs is governed mainly by a balance between the degrading matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs). An altered extracellular matrix metabolism has been implicated in a variety of diseases. We investigated relations of serum levels of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 to mortality risk from an etiological perspective. Design: The prospective Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM) cohort, followed from 1991–1995 for up to 18.1 years. A random population-based sample of 1,082 71-year-old men, no loss to follow-up. Endpoints were all-cause (n = 628), cardiovascular (n = 230), non-cardiovascular (n = 398) and cancer mortality (n = 178), and fatal or non-fatal myocardial infarction (n = 138) or stroke (n = 163). Results: Serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were associated with risk of all-cause mortality (Cox proportional hazard ratio [HR] per standard deviation 1.10, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03–1.19; and 1.11, 1.02–1.20; respectively). TIMP-1 levels were mainly related to risks of cardiovascular mortality and stroke (HR per standard deviation 1.22, 95% CI 1.09–1.37; and 1.18, 1.04–1.35; respectively). All relations except those of TIMP-1 to stroke risk were attenuated by adjustment for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Relations in a subsample without cardiovascular disease or cancer were similar to those in the total sample. Conclusion: In this community-based cohort of elderly men, serum MMP-9 and TIMP-1 levels were related to mortality risk. An altered extracellular matrix metabolism may be involved in several detrimental pathways, and circulating MMP-9 or TIMP-1 levels may be relevant markers thereof.

Faktorer av betydelse för livskvalitet efter stroke ur ett patientperspektiv : en systematisk litteraturstudie

Stroke är en allvarlig sjukdom som betraktas som den främsta orsaken till funktionsnedsätt-ning i vuxen ålder och kräver flest vårddagar på sjukhus. Syftet med denna studie var att analysera vilka faktorer som har betydelse för en persons livskvalitet efter genomgången stroke samt möjligheter för hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal att underlätta för strokepatienten att återfå sin livskvalitet. Studien genomfördes som en sammanställning av litteraturen med induktiv ansats där författarna granskade fyra studier med kvalitativ design och nio studier med kvantitativ design. Utmaningarna efter stroke är många för den som insjuknat. Livskvalitet påverkas inte enbart av de fysiska funktionsnedsättningar som stroke medför utan även av psykiska och sociala faktorer som till exempel depression, ångest, brist på socialt umgänge och fritidsaktiviteter. Kunskap, motivation och stöd var avgörande faktorer under återhämtningen och påverkade patientens följsamhet till rehabiliteringen. Studiens resultat visade att KUNSKAP om sjuk-domen, rehabiliteringen och de resurser som fanns att tillgå under den krävande återhämtningsprocessen var en viktig faktor för att strokepatienter skulle uppleva meningsfullhet med tillvaron och på så sätt uppleva livskvalitet. Kunskap ökade i sin tur MOTIVATIONEN vilket bidrog till att patienter valde att fortsätta vilja och orka återfå förlorade funktioner. För att detta skulle vara möjligt måste personer som drabbats av stroke erhålla STÖD i form av hjälp från familj och vänner samt olika insatser från hälso- och sjukvården.

Parent’s experiences of feeding their preterm infant in Neonatal Units in Sweden. : Ethnographic design

Introduction: Studies have shown that having a preterm infant may cause stress and powerlessness for parents. It is important to support parents around the feeding situation, and that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has appropriate space and place to help the family to bond to each other. For the healthcare professionals it is important to promote skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding; particularly for preterm infants. There are many studies on parent’s experiences of NICUs and a few studies on parent’s experiences of feeding their infant in the NICU. Objective: The objective of this study was to explore parents experiences of feeding their infant in the NICU. Design: The study was conducted using an ethnographic design. Results: A global theme of ‘The journey in feeding’ was developed from four organising themes: ‘Ways of infant feeding’; ‘Environmental influences’; ‘Relationships’ and ‘Emotional factors’. These themes illustrate the challenges mothers reported with different methods of feeding. The environment had a big impact on parent’s experiences of infant feeding. Some mothers felt that breastfeeding seemed unnatural because their infant was so tiny but breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact helped them to bond to their infant. The mothers thought it was difficult to keep up with the milk production by only pumping. Routines were not inviting parents to find their own rhythm. They also felt stressed about the weighing. Healthcare professionals had positive and negative influences on the parents. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that while all parents expressed the wish to breastfeed, their ‘journey in feeding’ was highly influenced by method of feeding, environmental, relational and emotional factors. The general focus upon routines and assessing milk intake generated anxiety and reduced relationality. Midwives and neonatal nurses need to ensure that they emphasise and support the relational aspects of parenting and avoid over-emphasising milk intake and associated progress of the infant

Assessing feasibility and acceptability of study procedures : getting ready for implementation of national stroke guidelines in out-patient health care

BACKGROUND: Even though Swedish national guidelines for stroke care (SNGSC) have been accessible for nearly a decade access to stroke rehabilitation in out-patient health care vary considerably. In order to aid future interventions studies for implementation of SNGSC, this study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of study procedures including analysis of the context in out-patient health care settings. METHODS: The feasibility and acceptability of recruitment, observations and interviews with managers, staff and patients were assessed, as well as the feasibility of surveying health care records. RESULTS: To identify patients from the the hospitals was feasible but not from out-patient care where a need to relieve clinical staff of the recruitment process was identified. Assessing adherence to guidelines and standardized evaluations of patient outcomes through health care records was found to be feasible and suitable assessment tools to evaluate patient outcome were identified. Interviews were found to be a feasible and acceptable tool to survey the context of the health care setting. CONCLUSION: In this feasibility study a variety of qualitative and quantitative data collection procedures and measures were tested. The results indicate what can be used as a set of feasible and acceptable data collection procedures and suitable measures for studying implementation of stroke guidelines in an out-patient health care context.

Facilitators and barriers to applying a national quality registry for quality improvement in stroke care

BACKGROUND: National quality registries (NQRs) purportedly facilitate quality improvement, while neither the extent nor the mechanisms of such a relationship are fully known. The aim of this case study is to describe the experiences of local stakeholders to determine those elements that facilitate and hinder clinical quality improvement in relation to participation in a well-known and established NQR on stroke in Sweden. METHODS: A strategic sample was drawn of 8 hospitals in 4 county councils, representing a variety of settings and outcomes according to the NQR's criteria. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 25 managers, physicians in charge of the Riks-Stroke, and registered nurses registering local data at the hospitals. Interviews, including aspects of barriers and facilitators within the NQR and the local context, were analysed with content analysis. RESULTS: An NQR can provide vital aspects for facilitating evidence-based practice, for example, local data drawn from national guidelines which can be used for comparisons over time within the organisation or with other hospitals. Major effort is required to ensure that data entries are accurate and valid, and thus the trustworthiness of local data output competes with resources needed for everyday clinical stroke care and quality improvement initiatives. Local stakeholders with knowledge of and interest in both the medical area (in this case stroke) and quality improvement can apply the NQR data to effectively initiate, carry out, and evaluate quality improvement, if supported by managers and co-workers, a common stroke care process and an operational management system that embraces and engages with the NQR data. CONCLUSION: While quality registries are assumed to support adherence to evidence-based guidelines around the world, this study proposes that a NQR can facilitate improvement of care but neither the registry itself nor the reporting of data initiates quality improvement. Rather, the local and general evidence provided by the NQR must be considered relevant and must be applied in the local context. Further, the quality improvement process needs to be facilitated by stakeholders collaborating within and outside the context, who know how to initiate, perform, and evaluate quality improvement, and who have the resources to do so.