Impact Story - Improving stroke care

Tuesday, June 07, 2022

Improving stroke care

Data linkage is helping researchers learn more about what happens to patients before, during and after hospitalisation for a major stroke, and even how COVID-19 affected stroke care.

Monash University and Florey Institute researchers Associate Professor Monique Kilkenny and Professor Dominique Cadilhac are using linked data understand gaps in care and improve outcomes for people who experience a stroke.

Through research projects such as Stroke123 and PRECISE, they explore the full patient journey through emergency presentations, hospital admissions, prescription data, medical visits and death records.

Associate Professor Kilkenny says their research has found that one in three patients who experience stroke or transient ischemic attack are readmitted to hospital within 12 months.

Another finding is that one in three people who have a stroke stop taking their medication in the first year.

Professor Cadilhac’s research team and Ambulance Victoria are using linked ambulance, registry and hospital data to better understand what happens to people with stroke before they arrive at the hospital.

She also reports to the Victorian Government about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stroke care and stroke services.

“For the condition of stroke, which is complex and crosses many different parts of the health system, data linkage has been invaluable to filling in gaps,” Professor Cadilhac says.

“You're able to really unpack some important questions.”

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