Team care following stroke; what does it accomplish?

Although the majority of health professionals believe in the value of team care, definitive evidence to support many of the claims made by proponents of this system is scarce. Numerous studies have suggested that selected categories of stroke patients do benefit from a coordinated interdisciplinary team approach, but few of these studies employed a true experimental design. Although additional research is necessary to ascertain accurately the benefits derived by stroke patients from the team approach and to determine how these benefits can be obtained most effectively and efficiently, there are many descriptive reports available that have useful directives for the organization and administration of a team approach to stroke care. This review documents the articles in which the philosophy and components of team care for stroke patients are described. Previous research endeavors designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the team approach to stroke care are summarized and the limitations of these studies are systematically noted. An emphasis is placed on acute and subacute care programs. Suggestions for future research endeavours, in terms of their methodological approach, are made.