The awareness of healthcare staff towards post-stroke cognitive impairment: a cross sectional study.
Obaid Almalki, Mansour Abdullah Alshehri, Ahmed Mohamed El-Sodany and 1 others
PMID 29950785WHAT IT FOUND
Most stroke staff believed they knew about post-stroke cognitive deficits, but only 40% had taken a course.
They varied in how many patients they thought had decline. Many felt cognitive function should be routinely assessed, yet few discussed the impact with families.
Key findings
01Approximately 75% of participants felt they had knowledge about post-stroke cognitive deficits, but only 40% had completed a course in stroke rehabilitation.
02Staff in the acute stroke unit reported that up to 60% of their patients had cognitive decline, whereas the stroke rehabilitation team reported up to 40%.
0370% of participants agreed cognitive function should be routinely assessed, and 85% discussed the potential impact of post-stroke cognitive deficits with patients and families.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (20 participants), limiting the generalisability of the findings. The study relied on self-reported knowledge and perceptions rather than objective measures of competence or actual clinical practice. There was an imbalance in disciplines, with physiotherapists making up a large proportion of the sample, which may skew the results towards perspectives common in that profession. The survey did not assess whether the staff's self-reported knowledge translated into effective identification or management of cognitive deficits in patients.
Declared interests
The author declares that he has no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that because most staff felt knowledgeable, they were actually identifying and managing cognitive deficits effectively. The study measured self-perception, not clinical accuracy, and the small sample size means these views may not represent the wider workforce.