Evaluation of the Post Stroke Checklist: A Pilot Study in the United Kingdom and Singapore
Authors: Ward Anthony B. , Chen Christopher , Norrving Bo , Gillard Patrick , Walker Marion F. , Blackburn Steven , Holloway Laura , Brainin Michael , Philp Ian 
Published: August 2014

Background

There is currently no standardized process for long-term follow-up care. As a result, management of post-stroke care varies greatly, and the needs of stroke survivors are not fully addressed. The Post Stroke Checklist was developed by the Global Stroke Community Advisory Panel as a means of standardizing long-term stroke care. Since its development, the Post Stroke Checklist has gained international recognition from various stroke networks and is endorsed by the World Stroke Organization to support improved stroke survivor follow-up and care.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of the Post Stroke Checklist in clinical practice and assess its relevance to stroke survivors in pilot studies in the United Kingdom and Singapore.

Methods

The Post Stroke Checklist was administered to stroke survivors in the United Kingdom ( n = 42) and Singapore ( n = 100) by clinicians. To assess the feasibility of the Post Stroke Checklist in clinical practice, an independent researcher observed the assessment and made notes relating to the patient–clinician interaction and their interpretations of the Post Stroke Checklist items. Patient and clinician satisfaction with the Post Stroke Checklist was assessed by three questions, responded to on a 0–10 numerical rating scale. Clinicians also completed a Pragmatic Face and Content Validity test to evaluate their overall impressions of the Post Stroke Checklist. In the United Kingdom, a subset of patients ( n = 14) took part in a concept elicitation interview prior to being administered the Post Stroke Checklist, followed by a cognitive debriefing interview to assess relevance and comprehension of the Post Stroke Checklist.

Results

The Post Stroke Checklist identified frequently reported problems for stroke survivors including cognition (reported by 47·2% of patients), mood (43·7%), and life after stroke (38%). An average of 3·2 problems per patient was identified across both countries (range 0–10). An average of 5 and 2·6 problems per patient were identified in the United Kingdom and Singapore, respectively. The average time taken to administer the Post Stroke Checklist was 17 mins (standard deviation 7·5) in Singapore and 13 mins (standard deviation 7·6) in the United Kingdom. Satisfaction ratings were high for patients (8·6/10) and clinicians (7·7/10), and clinician feedback via the Pragmatic Face and Content Validity test indicated that the Post Stroke Checklist is ‘useful’, ‘informative’, and ‘exhaustive’. All concepts measured by the Post Stroke Checklist were spontaneously discussed by patients during the concept elicitation interviews, suggesting that the Post Stroke Checklist is relevant to stroke survivors. Cognitive debriefing data indicated that the items were generally well understood and relevant to stroke. Minor revisions were made to the Post Stroke Checklist based on patient feedback.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the Post Stroke Checklist is a feasible and useful measure for identifying long term stroke care needs in a clinical practice setting. Pilot testing indicated that the Post Stroke Checklist is able to identify a wide range of unmet needs, and patient and clinician feedback indicated a high level of satisfaction with the Post Stroke Checklist assessment. The items were generally well understood and considered relevant to stroke survivors, indicating the Post Stroke Checklist is a feasible, useful, and relevant measure of poststroke care.