The role of facilitation to improve acute stroke care

Care provided according to guideline recommendations improves the outcomes for people with stroke, but not all patients receive evidence-based care. This thesis includes five published/submitted papers and one traditional chapter of results that contribute to a greater understanding of the benefits of different facilitator roles, together with audit and feedback interventions, for improving access to evidence-based care after stroke. The presence of coordinators, as internal facilitators, was shown to be associated with improved evidence-based care delivery and patient outcomes. Investment in, and development of, facilitator roles within organisations (such as stroke coordinators), are essential to maximising evidence-based care delivery.