title: Early assessment by a mobile stroke team: a randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is overwhelming evidence of the effectiveness of specialist stroke rehabilitation, but more limited evidence of the effectiveness of organised stroke care during the acute phase of stroke.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the impact on outcome of access to a mobile team during the acute phase of stroke among patients admitted to general wards.
  
  
  METHODS
  308 patients admitted to one of two hospitals within 5 days of the onset of a clinically diagnosed stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomised controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Following admission, patients in the intervention arm were visited by members of a mobile stroke team who advised clinical staff on appropriate and timely investigation and management. They co-ordinated early input from therapy groups and identified those ready for transfer to the stroke rehabilitation unit. Patients in the control arm were not visited by the mobile stroke team.
  
  
  METHODS
  All-cause mortality measured at 6 weeks and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference observed between study groups in mortality at 6 weeks (95% CI(adj) -7.4 to 7.4%) nor at 12 months ( 95% CI(adj) -4.1 to 15.9%). There were also no differences observed between study groups in morbidity outcomes or health-related quality of life measured at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The trial was terminated before the necessary sample size was collected but findings suggest that the mobile stroke team failed to confer significant long-term mortality benefit compared with general ward-based care alone.
authors.affiliation: University of Manchester, UK. PaolaDey62@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Woodman
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: S Jill
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stocks
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wagstaff
authors.forename: Veneet
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: Mohan Datta
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Chaudhuri
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008952:Mobile Health Units; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D016896:Treatment Outcome