Comparison of patient experience and audit findings in stroke care

Stroke is one of the main causes of death and disability in England, and is a major source of expenditure for the NHS and the wider economy. Development of stroke services is increasingly recognised as a priority. There is a growing body of research on patients’ experiences of stroke care, aiming to improve the quality of care patients receive.

In a study published by BMJ, Picker set out to determine the extent of correlation between stroke patients’ experiences of hospital care with the quality of services assessed in a national audit. Findings revealed that patients cared in better organised stroke units, as measured by a clinical audit, reported a more positive experience of care in the patient survey. This strengthens the rationale for ensuring that all the recognised organisational standards are implemented in stroke units to boost care quality and experience.