| 1. |
- Appelros, Peter, et al.
(author)
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Trends in baseline patient characteristics during the years 1995-2008 : observations from Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register.
- 2010
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In: Cerebrovascular Diseases. - : S. Karger AG. - 1015-9770 .- 1421-9786. ; 30:2, s. 114-119
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Reported improvements in outcome in stroke patients treated in hospital are often attributed to advances in stroke care. However, secular trends in patient characteristics that are present already on admission to hospital may also contribute to improved outcome. METHODS: Time trends for baseline data (289,854 stroke admittances) in Riks-Stroke, the Swedish national quality register for stroke care, were analyzed for the years 1995 through 2008. The following data were included: number of strokes for each year, age, sex, risk factors, stroke subtype, stroke severity, functional status and need of external home service before the stroke. RESULTS: The number of annually reported strokes increased until 2005. The proportion of recurrent strokes decreased from 28.0 to 25.9%. The mean age at first-ever stroke increased in women, but not in men. The proportion of smokers dropped, and the proportion of patients who had treated hypertension increased. The stroke severity decreased in men. The prestroke functional status (walking, dressing, toileting) improved in both sexes over these years. More patients lived alone in 2008 than in 1995, and more had home help service. CONCLUSIONS: Many baseline parameters in Riks-Stroke have changed over the years. This has consequences for the interpretation of outcome data. Some changes may be due to inclusion bias, others due to alterations in general health, evolution of vascular risk factors or demographics.
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| 2. |
- Asplund, Kjell, et al.
(author)
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Patient dissatisfaction with acute stroke care
- 2009
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In: Stroke. - : American Heart Association, Inc.. - 0039-2499 .- 1524-4628. ; 40:12, s. 3851-3856
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, was used to explore patient characteristics and stroke services as determinants of patient dissatisfaction with acute in-hospital care. METHODS: All 79 hospitals in Sweden admitting acute stroke patients participate in Riks-Stroke. During 2001 to 2007, 104,876 patients (87% of survivors) responded to a follow-up questionnaire 3 months after acute stroke; this included questions on satisfaction with various aspects of stroke care. RESULTS: The majority (>90%) were satisfied with acute in-hospital stroke care. Dissatisfaction was closely associated with outcome at 3 months. Patient who were dependent regarding activities of daily living, felt depressed, or had poor self-perceived general health were more likely to be dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction with global acute stroke care was linked to dissatisfaction with other aspects of care, including rehabilitation and support by community services. Patients treated in stroke units were less often dissatisfied than patients in general wards, as were patients who had been treated in a small hospital (vs medium or large hospitals) and patient who had participated in discharge planning. In multivariate analyses, the strongest predictor of dissatisfaction with acute care was poor outcome (dependency regarding activities of daily living, depressed mood, poor self-perceived health). CONCLUSIONS: Dissatisfaction with in-hospital acute stroke care is part of a more extensive complex comprising poor functional outcome, depressive mood, poor self-perceived general health, and dissatisfaction not only with acute care but also with health care and social services at large. Several aspects of stroke care organization are associated with a lower risk of dissatisfaction.
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| 3. |
- Asplund, Kjell, et al.
(author)
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The Riks-Stroke story : building a sustainable national register for quality assessment of stroke care
- 2011
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In: International Journal of Stroke. - : SAGE Publications. - 1747-4930 .- 1747-4949. ; 6:2, s. 99-108
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, is the world's longest-running national stroke quality register (established in 1994) and includes all 76 hospitals in Sweden admitting acute stroke patients. The development and maintenance of this sustainable national register is described. Methods Riks-Stroke includes information on the quality of care during the acute phase, rehabilitation and secondary prevention of stroke, as well as data on community support. Riks-Stroke is unique among stroke quality registers in that patients are followed during the first year after stroke. The data collected describe processes, and medical and patient-reported outcome measurements. The register embraces most of the dimensions of health-care quality (evidence-based, safe, provided in time, distributed fairly and patient oriented). Result Annually, approximately 25 000 patients are included. In 2009, approximately 320 000 patients had been accumulated (mean age 76-years). The register is estimated to cover 82% of all stroke patients treated in Swedish hospitals. Among critical issues when building a national stroke quality register, the delicate balance between simplicity and comprehensiveness is emphasised. Future developments include direct transfer of data from digital medical records to Riks-Stroke and comprehensive strategies to use the information collected to rapidly implement new evidence-based techniques and to eliminate outdated methods in stroke care. Conclusions It is possible to establish a sustainable quality register for stroke at the national level covering all hospitals admitting acute stroke patients. Riks-Stroke is fulfilling its main goals to support continuous quality improvement of Swedish stroke services and serve as an instrument for following up national stroke guidelines.
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| 4. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Acute stroke alert activation, emergency service use, and reperfusion therapy in Sweden
- 2017
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In: Brain and Behavior. - : Wiley. - 2162-3279. ; 7:4
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives: Ambulance services and stroke alerts reduce the time from stroke onset to acute stroke diagnosis. We describe the use of stroke alerts and ambulance services in different hospitals and patient groups and their relationship with reperfusion therapy. Methods: This nationwide study included 49,907 patients admitted with acute stroke who were registered in The Swedish Stroke Register (Riksstroke) in 2011-2012. Results: The proportions of patients admitted as stroke alerts out of all acute stroke admissions varied from 12.2% to 45.7% in university hospitals (n = 9), 0.5% to 38.7% in specialized nonuniversity hospitals (n = 22), and 4.2% to 40.3% in community hospitals (n = 41). Younger age, atrial fibrillation (AF), living in an institution, reduced consciousness upon admission, and hemorrhagic stroke were factors associated with a higher probability of stroke alerts. Living alone, primary school education, non-European origin, previous stroke, diabetes, smoking, and dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) were associated with a lower probability of stroke alert. The proportion of patients arriving at the hospital by ambulance varied from 60.3% to 94.5%. Older age, living alone, primary school education, being born in a European country, previous stroke, AF, dependency in ADL, living in an institution, reduced consciousness upon admission, and hemorrhagic stroke were associated with ambulance services. Hospital stroke alert frequencies correlated strongly with reperfusion rates (r = .75). Conclusion: Acute stroke alerts have a significant potential to improve stroke reperfusion rates. Prehospital stroke management varies conspicuously between hospitals and patient groups, and the elderly and patients living alone have a markedly reduced likelihood of stroke alerts.
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| 5. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Discarding Heparins as Treatment for Progressive Stroke in Sweden 2001 to 2008
- 2010
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In: Stroke. - 0039-2499 .- 1524-4628. ; 41:11, s. 2552-2558
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background and Purpose - High-dose heparin has been used extensively to treat patients with progressive ischemic stroke, but the scientific support is poor and the current stroke guidelines advise against its use. We studied how heparin treatment for progressive stroke has been discarded in Sweden. Methods - All 78 hospitals in Sweden that admit acute stroke patients participate in Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register. During 2001 to 2008, information on the use of high-dose heparin was available for 155 344 patients with acute ischemic stroke. The determinants as to region, patient characteristics, and stroke service settings were analyzed. Results - Use of heparin for progressive stroke declined from 7.5% (2001) to 1.6% (2008) of all patients with ischemic stroke. The marked regional differences present in 2001 were reduced over time. The use of heparin declined at a similar rate in all types of hospital settings, in stroke units vs nonstroke units, and in neurological vs medical wards. Independent predictors of use of heparin included younger age, first-ever stroke, independence in activities of daily living before stroke, atrial fibrillation, no aspirin treatment, and lowered consciousness on admission. Conclusions - There is no immediate, stepwise effect of new scientific information and national guidelines on clinical practice. Rather, the phasing out of heparin has followed a linear course over several years, with less variation between hospitals. We speculate that open comparisons between hospitals in a national stroke register may have helped to reduce the variations in clinical practice.
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| 6. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Dissemination of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke across a nation : experiences from the Swedish stroke register, 2003 to 2008
- 2010
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In: Stroke. - 0039-2499 .- 1524-4628. ; 41:6, s. 1115-1122
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We used Riks-Stroke, the Swedish Stroke Register, to explore how thrombolysis has been disseminated in Swedish hospitals since it was approved in 2003. METHODS: All 78 hospitals in Sweden admitting patients with acute stroke participate in Riks-Stroke. Between 2003 and 2008, 72 033 adult patients were hospitalized for acute ischemic stroke. We analyzed thrombolysis use by region, patient characteristics, and stroke service settings. RESULTS: Nationwide, the use of thrombolysis increased from 0.9% in 2003 to 6.6% in 2008. There were marked regional differences in the dissemination of thrombolysis, but these gaps narrowed over time. Nonuniversity hospitals reached treatment levels similar to university settings, although with a 2- to 3-year delay. Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage remained at the 3% to 9% level without an apparent time trend during dissemination. Independent predictors of higher thrombolysis use included younger age, male sex, not living alone, and no history of stroke or diabetes. In 2008, patients admitted to a stroke unit were 5 times more likely to receive thrombolysis than those admitted to general wards. CONCLUSIONS: Nationwide implementation of thrombolysis has been slow but has accelerated mainly due to increased access outside university hospitals. The increased use has been achieved safely, but access has been unequal.
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| 7. |
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| 8. |
- Eriksson, Marie, et al.
(author)
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Trombolys som akutbehandling vid ischemisk stroke sprids över landet : Men regionala variationer är ännu stora, visar Riks-Stroke-analys
- 2011
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In: Läkartidningen. - 0023-7205 .- 1652-7518. ; 108:1-2, s. 21-25
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Spridningen av trombolys som akutbehandling vid ischemisk stroke har analyserats hos patienter registrerade i Riks-Stroke under 2003–2009. Implementeringen har varit långsam, även om den varit snabbare än i många andra länder. De regionala variationerna i införandet av trombolys är stora. Trombolys har införts med 2–3 års fördröjning vid icke-universitetssjukhus jämfört med universitetssjukhus. Andra oberoende prediktorer för trombolysbehandling har varit bl a låg ålder, sammanboende, intagning på strokeenhet och intagning på neurologklinik i stället för medicinklinik. Andelen trombolyslarm i målgruppen har nära samband med behandlingsfrekvensen. Spridningen till mindre sjukhus har kunnat genomföras med bevarad patientsäkerhet.
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