Impact of Standardised Order Sets on Functional Outcome of Acute Ischaemic Stroke Patients: A Research Protocol

Abstract

Introduction: Standard order sets, which are pre-decided measures that guide clinical decisions and treatment, are shown to benefit quality of care in various medical conditions, including stroke. The use of such order sets for stroke management has shown positive outcomes in various studies. The American Stroke Association advises the use of standard order sets to raise the efficiency of acute stroke care. Need of the study: In rural tertiary care hospitals of India, the challenge is due to factors such as late patient presentation, poor infrastructure, and lack of trained staff. These result in reduced stroke care and poorer outcomes. Therefore, introducing standard order sets in such settings could reduce the lacunae in stroke management quality and improve patient care. Aim: To study the impact of implementing standardised order sets on overall outcome of patients of acute onset ischaemic stroke. Materials and Methods: The study will be prospective observational study. This study is designed to know the effect of using standard order sets for study of outcomes of with acute onset ischaemic stroke. The study will be conducted in Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH), a tertiary care hospital situated in the rural area of Wardha district. Study will be carried out over the period of two years. The data collection process for this study will be divided into three phases: the pre-implementation phase, the implementation phase, and the post-implementation phase. A total of 600 patients will be included in the study. Qualitative data will be coded into quantitative variables as needed, and new variables will be created based on the collected data to facilitate analysis. For example, age groups may be categorised, and time intervals calculated. These preparatory steps are essential for ensuring that the data is ready for robust analysis, ultimately enabling a thorough evaluation of the impact of standardised order sets on the outcomes of acute ischaemic stroke in a tertiary care rural hospital in India.

Keywords

• acute stroke management
• post-implementation phase
• pre-implementation phase
• rural india