First stroke rehabilitation audit finds lack of staff and specialists
The first ever audit of Australian stroke rehabilitation services has found that many hospital based rehabilitation units are not led by physicians with specialist training in rehabilitation, and that staffing levels are lower than recommended.
The National Stroke Audit Post Acute Services was conducted by the National Stroke Foundation to gain insight into the current state of stroke rehabilitation, and whether services are implementing evidence-based processes of care recommended in the Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Rehabilitation and Recovery.
The audit of 97 rehabilitation units found 65% of rural units were led by general practitioners or physicians whereas 73% of urban units had specialist rehabilitation physicians in charge.