Adherence to clinical guidelines improves patient outcomes in Australian audit of stroke rehabilitation practice.

Objective: To study the correlation between adherence to recommended management and good recovery outcomes in an Australian cohort of inpatients receiving rehabilitation.

Design: Processes of care were audited and included those recommended in the Australian Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery.

Setting: National audit data from 68 rehabilitation units were used, with each hospital contributing up to 40 consecutive cases.

Stroke patients' experience with the Australian health system: a qualitative study.

Background: Consumer feedback about experiences with the health system is integral to service planning and is consistent with growing interest in patient-centred care.

Purpose: To explore the experiences of community-dwelling stroke survivors at one, three and five years using a community-based, cross-sectional study.

Methods: The quantitative study was comprised of 90 participants post-stroke (3 cohorts, each including 30 participants).

Exploring poststroke mood changes in community-dwelling stroke survivors: a qualitative study.

Objective: To explore the long-term experience of mood changes in community-dwelling stroke survivors at 1, 3, and 5 years after stroke.

Design: A qualitative study using a modified grounded theory approach. The primary data collection method was semi-structured interviewing.

Community-dwelling stroke survivors: function is not the whole story with quality of life.

Objective: To compare function and quality of life in community-dwelling stroke survivors at 1, 3, and 5 years after stroke.

Design: A community-based, cross-sectional study of 3 retrospective cohorts.

Setting: Community-dwelling stroke survivors in Australia.

2: Rehabilitation of patients after stroke.

Stroke is the third highest cause of death and the leading cause of chronic disability in adults in Australia. Studies show clear advantages of treatment of patients in the acute phase of stroke in a dedicated stroke unit. Rehabilitation after stroke is a continuum, starting within days of stroke onset and ending only when it no longer produces any positive effect.