Outpatient practice patterns after stroke hospitalization among neurologists.
OBJECTIVE
Care after stroke hospitalization can provide several opportunities to optimize vascular risk reduction. However, not much is known about poststroke practice patterns among neurologists. Such knowledge may help direct specific efforts to improve the impact of practicing neurologists on clinical outcomes after stroke.


METHODS
A survey soliciting information on processes of care in the outpatient setting after recent hospitalization for ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack was mailed to a random sample of 833 US and Canadian neurologist-members of the American Academy of Neurology.


RESULTS
A total of 475 (57%) responses were received. Practice demographics of survey responders and nonresponders were largely similar. Fourteen percent of respondents identified themselves as vascular neurologists. Overall, respondents reported frequently checking for medication adherence and counseling patients on lifestyle modification. However, neurologists reported screening more frequently for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than actually treating these conditions (all P<0.0001) Vascular neurologists were more likely than general neurologists to screen for hypertension (97% versus 86%, P=0.016), dyslipidemia (94% versus 68%, P<0.001), diabetes (89% versus 62%, P<0.001), and sleep apnea (94% versus 79%, P=0.007) as well as to treat hypertension (71% versus 45%, P<0.001), dyslipidemia (82% versus 50%, P<0.001), diabetes (45% versus 21%, P<0.001), and current smoking (77% versus 59%, P=0.005). Neurologists with mostly government-insured and uninsured patients were significantly more likely to engage in vascular risk reduction treatment than neurologists with mostly commercially insured patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Self-reported rates of screening and treatment of major vascular risk factors by most neurologists after stroke hospitalization are substantial but not universal. Bridging knowledge gaps or adopting a systematic management approach in coordination with primary care physicians could help optimize poststroke care.
Ovbiagele
Bruce
B
Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Ovibes@mednet.ucla.edu
Drogan
Oksana
O
Koroshetz
Walter J
WJ
Fayad
Pierre
P
Saver
Jeffrey L
JL
D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D002170:Canada; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D003625:Data Collection; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009462:Neurology / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D014481:United States