Feedback on baseline performance within a quality improvement collaborative was followed by improved temperature measurement and swallowing screening in ischemic stroke care, and dissemination of an e-learning tool was associated with improved glycemia, swallowing, and depression screening, though overall adherence remained low.
Adherence to temperature measurement in ischemic stroke patients increased significantly from 2019 (MP1) to 2022 (MP2) across 24 hospitals.
Swallowing screening adherence improved significantly between the two measurement periods.
No significant overall changes were observed for glycemia measurement, ADL screening, or depression screening between MP1 and MP2.
The e-learning tool on FeSS+ was delivered to teams at 18 of the 24 hospitals (75%).
Improvements in glycemia management, swallowing screening, and depression screening were observed only in hospitals that disseminated the e-learning tool.
Temperature measurement improved more in hospitals that did not use the e-learning tool than in those that did.
Overall adherence to the recommended care processes remained low despite the improvements, indicating a need for continued quality improvement.
This study looked at whether a quality improvement program could help hospitals follow guidelines for stroke care. The guidelines call for checking body temperature, checking blood sugar, and screening for swallowing problems, and the program also added screening for daily living abilities and depression. Twenty-four hospitals took part. Researchers reviewed 30 consecutive ischemic stroke patient records per hospital in 2019 and again in 2022, after hospitals received feedback on their performance and were offered an optional e-learning tool. Temperature checking rose from 18% to 25% and swallowing screening from 36% to 59%. Blood sugar, daily living, and depression screening did not change significantly overall. However, hospitals that passed on the e-learning tool to their teams showed improvement in blood sugar management, swallowing screening, and depression screening, while those that did not use it did not. Temperature measurement improved more in hospitals without the e-learning tool. This research suggests that giving hospitals feedback can help, and that targeted tools like e-learning may add further benefit for some care steps. Still, adherence stayed low for most measures, so ongoing efforts appear to be needed. The study compared records before and after and was not a randomized trial, so it cannot prove that the interventions caused the changes.
Lens C, Coeckelberghs E, Seys D, Vanhaecht K, Bekelaar K, Blondia R, et al.. (2026). Specific interventions as part of a quality improvement collaborative enhance care for ischemic stroke patients.. Frontiers in neurology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2026.1830076