Implementation of an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse-Led Clinic to Improve Follow-up Care for Post-Ischemic Stroke Patients.

BACKGROUND: Ischemic stroke continues to be a leading cause of serious disability within the United States, affecting 795 000 people annually. Approximately 12% to 21% of post-ischemic stroke patients will be readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge. Studies suggest that implementation of a follow-up appointment within 7 to 14 days of discharge improves 30-day readmission rates; however, implementation of these guidelines is uncommon, and follow-up visits within the recommended window are not often achieved. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the impact of an advanced practice registered nurse (APRN)-led stroke clinic on follow-up care for post-ischemic stroke patients. The aims were to improve time to follow-up visit and reduce 30-day unplanned readmissions. METHODS: A pre/post intervention design was used to evaluate the impact of a process to access the APRN-led stroke clinic. The intervention included a scheduling process redesign, and subsequent APRN and scheduler education. RESULTS: The time to clinic follow-up preintervention averaged 116.9 days, which significantly reduced to 33.6 days post intervention, P = .0001. Unplanned readmissions within 30 days declined from 11.5% to 9.9%; however, it was not statistically significant, P = .149. Age was not statistically different between preintervention and postintervention groups, P = .092, and other demographics were similar between the groups. CONCLUSION: An APRN-led clinic can improve follow-up care and may reduce unplanned 30-day readmissions for post-ischemic stroke patients. Further work is needed to determine the impact of alternative approaches such as telehealth.

Duke Scholars

Author Bradi Bartrug Granger School of Nursing

Author Staci Reynolds School of Nursing