Research networks for stroke rehabilitation: opportunities and barriers.
The previous negative attitude to stroke care is gradually giving way to a more positive approach, stimulated by a growing evidence base and policy initiatives such as the requirement that stroke units be established in all district general hospitals. There is now a new opportunity to link groups of stroke units into research networks to support the implementation of multi-centre trials. Such trials have the potential to increase patient recruitment rates, and will enhance the generalisability of the findings. Recent experience in establishing a stroke rehabilitation research network is reported in this paper.
Forster
Anne
A
Department of Health Care for the Elderly, St Luke's Hospital, Bradford. a.forster@leeds.ac.uk
Young
John
J
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D012041:Regional Medical Programs; D018570:Risk Assessment; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D006113:United Kingdom