title: [In-hospital stroke care in Catalonia [Spain]. Results of the "First Clinical Audit of Stroke. Catalonia, 2005/2006"].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the quality of in-hospital stroke care in public acute care hospitals in Catalonia before the implementation of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) on stroke by determining adherence to specific recommendations of the CPG.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the case notes of consecutive patients with stroke (defined with ICD-9 codes: 431, 433.x1, 434.x1, and 436) admitted to 48 Catalan hospitals within the first half of 2005. Data were collected on indicators of the healthcare process selected on the basis of their scientific evidence and/or clinical relevance. The participating hospitals included 20, 40 or 60 stroke cases according to their annual stroke caseload. After random selection, up to 9.3% of all cases recruited at each study center were externally monitored to assess the quality of the data gathered. Indicators were grouped into six different dimensions related to distinct aspects of clinical practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed data from 1,791 stroke cases (53.9% men, mean age: 75.6 [12.4] years). Overall inter-observer agreement was 0.7. Compliance with the six dimensions was as follows (mean percentage [95%CI]): quality of medical records, 78.5% (77.5-79.4); initial interventions, 92.4% (91.5-93.2); neurological assessment, 38.3% (37.3-39.3); assessment of rehabilitation needs, 44.9% (43.2-46.7); prevention and management of medical complications, 68.4% (66.9-70), and initial preventive measures, 78.9% (77.3-80.4).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the first half of 2005, in-hospital stroke care in Catalonia showed room for improvement particularly in aspects related to the neurological assessment and follow-up of patients and their rehabilitation process.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, España. sabilleira@aatrm.catsalut.net
authors.forename: Sònia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abilleira
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ribera
authors.forename: Emília
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Jaume
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roquer
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Ricard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tresserras
authors.forename: Miquel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallofré
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain; D020521:Stroke / Q000628:therapy*