Research Project: PLIS - Primary Leaders Implementing Stroke evidence, a study performed in collaboration between Dalarna University and Karolinska Institutet

Project leader
Lars Wallin
Project Members
Anna Ehrenberg
Ann catrine Eldh
Malin Tistad
Christina Ohlsson, Hässelby Akalla akademiska vårdcentral
Susanne Palmcrantz, Karolinska Institutet
Max Petzold, Sahlgrenska Akademin
Göran Tomson, Karolinska Institutet
Lotta Widén Holmqvist, Karolinska Institutet
Project Period
-
Project Status
Completed
Description
Patients do not always have access to a healthcare that is based on current and relevant knowledge. Patients may even receive unnecessary or harmful care. One way to improve the quality and safety of health care is through the use of evidence-based guidelines. For example, home based rehabilitation after stroke is a top priority in the National Guidelines for Stroke Care in Sweden. Despite this, a recent evaluation identified large national differences in performing home based rehabilitation after stroke. Consequently, there is a need to understand factors that influence the adherence to the Guidelines for Stroke Care, and to develop and evaluate implementation strategies.

Managers have an essential role in the development and maintenance of quality of care. Furthermore, research emphasizes managers' leadership in the process of implementing research into practice. Yet, studies that focus on the manager’s capacity for quality improvement are scarce. This also applies to experimental studies exploring strategies to support the manager.

Consequently, we performed a pilot study for PLIS in 2013, investigating the feasibility of a leadership intervention program, with an aim to support healthcare managers in the implementation of particular recommendations of the National Guidelines for Stroke Care in outpatient rehabilitation in Sweden. To assess the feasibility of the intervention program in different health care organizations and geographical contexts, the pilot study was conducted in different locations: two units located in an urban area (Stockholm) and three units in a rural municipality (Dalarna).

The PLIS pilot study is reported in two scientific papers, and the experiences inform a further dialogue on potential larger studies with a focus on interventions to support managers in facilitating knowledge implementation.
Keywords
implementering stroke ledarskap, implementation stroke leadership
Research Profile
Health and Social Welfare
Subject
Caring Science
Financiers
Vårdalstiftelsen
Publications