Variation between hospitals in patient outcome after stroke is only partly explained by differences in quality of care: results from the Netherlands Stroke Survey

Background and purpose: Patient outcome is often used as an indicator of quality of hospital care. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a straightforward relationship between quality of care and outcome, and whether outcome measures could be used to assess quality of care after stroke. Methods: In 10 centres in The Netherlands, 579 patients with acute stroke were prospectively and consecutively enrolled. Poor outcome was defined as a score on the modified Rankin scale >= 3 at 1 year. Quality of care was assessed by relating diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive procedur... Mehr ...