The impact of a toolkit on use of standardised measurement tools in stroke rehabilitation.

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

DESIGN

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.

SETTING

Ten in-patient stroke services in a large UK city.

SUBJECTS

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.