Follow up of Stroke Patients by Neurologists and General Practitioners

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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From the region around Brussels there are currently few data on how the post-stroke process take place and how satisfied the care providers are with it. For this reason, this survey is set up with the aim of examining four pillars: the epidemiology of stroke, communication between neurologists and GPs and satisfaction with it, secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease and control/treatment of the most common sequelae after stroke. In the latter two, the emphasis is on detection and treatment, and explicitly on whose task this is (neurologist versus GP), with the aim of verifying the mutual consensus on treatment and the subsequent detection of treatment shortcomings. This study will mainly consist of interviewing general practitioners and neurologists in the periphery of Brussels. This will be done by means of partly structured questionnaires, that will be send out to the medical professionals by contact with the central umbrella organisations of neurology in the hospitals and contact with the various general practitioners' practices (directly or through the multidisciplinary meetings per region). The questionnaires will be made up in google forms, as this programme allows efficient data processing, is eas-ily understandable for every participant and as no individual patient data will be processed.

Official Title
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Follow up of Stroke Patients by Neurologists and GP's: How Smooth is the Internal Communication and is There Room for Improvement?

Conditions
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Stroke

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Survey


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Neurologist and/or general practitioner Exclusion Criteria: Not actively treating stroke patients

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 24 Years
Maximum Age: 70 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Neurologists<br> | Other: Survey<br>* Questionnaire<br>|
| General practitioners<br> | Other: Survey<br>* Questionnaire<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| secondary prevention stroke: Antithrombotics | Given that the purpose of our study is not to determine which antithrombotics are started, this will not be determined. What will be asked, however, is which healthcare provider starts this and whose task this is considered to be. Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| secondary prevention stroke: Hypertension | This study will ask who starts antihypertensive drugs, whose task this is considered, how blood pressure is monitored and what the target values are. Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| secondary prevention stroke: Smoking | The questionnaire will ask whether healthcare providers themselves actively detect smoking behaviour and how this smoking behaviour is addressed. (ex. via medication, consultation with tabacologist etc) Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| secondary prevention stroke: Diabetes | The questionnaire will ask whether diabetes is actively detected by the healthcare provider himself, whether the treatment is subsequently started/adjusted himself and whose task this is according to them (neurologist, GP, diabetologist,...) At the end, it will also be asked whether healthcare providers would like to see changes in secondary prevention of stroke (open question, all answers will be checked) and whether the healthcare provider considers themselves to be capable enough to follow up secondary prevention in stroke patients (as this seems to be a good measure of the quality of currently available guidelines). Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| secondary prevention stroke: general | At the end, it will also be asked whether healthcare providers would like to see changes in secondary prevention of stroke (open question, all answers will be checked) and whether the healthcare provider considers themselves to be capable enough to follow up secondary prevention in stroke patients (as this seems to be a good measure of the quality of currently available guidelines). Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| sequelae of stroke: Fatigue | During the study, it will check whether fatigue is detected (example: if the treating physician often actively asks the patiënt for mental and/or physical fatigue) and what treatment is instituted. (example: psychologist, physiotherapy,...) Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| sequelae of stroke: Depression | The questionnaire will explore whether depression itself is detected by the healthcare provider, how this is done (screening questions, heteroanamnesis,...), whose job it is and whether a referral is made and to whom. Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years | 
| sequelae of stroke: Sexual dyfunction | This study will evaluate whether sexual dysfunction is being asked, whether and what treatment is initiated. (example: medication, couples therapy etc.) Values will be reflected in ratios and percentages (%) of healthcare providers (both differences interdisciplinary and intradisciplinary) | 1,5 - 2 years |