title: The impact of a toolkit on use of standardised measurement tools in stroke rehabilitation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the impact of a toolkit of psychometrically robust measurement tools, the Greater Manchester Assessment for Stroke Rehabilitation (G-MASTER) toolkit, on the use of measurement tools during stroke rehabilitation
  
  
  METHODS
  Mixed methods cohort design using non-participant observation of multi-disciplinary team meetings and semi-structured interviews with members of the team over three months before and three months after implementation of the assessment toolkit. Development and implementation of the toolkit are also described.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten in-patient stroke services in a large UK city.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the participating multi-disciplinary stroke teams.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before implementation standardised measures were seldom used in team meetings. After implementation, use of all measurement tools significantly increased (36% to 81% of occasions, P<0.000). Staff were generally positive about the toolkit and felt it enabled more accurate problem identification, effective progress monitoring, timely decision-making, communication and promoted inter-team relationships.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A toolkit of standardised measurement tools can be feasibly and acceptably implemented into stroke rehabilitation. It increases the use of measurement tools by the multi-disciplinary team and improves the processes and quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Stroke Research Centre, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, University of Manchester UK Sarah.Tyson@manchester.ac.uk.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Tyson
authors.affiliation: Stroke Research Centre, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, University of Manchester UK Greater Manchester Strategic Clinical Network, UK.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.affiliation: Greater Manchester Strategic Clinical Network, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McGovern
mesh_terms: D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Stroke; measurement; multi-disciplinary team