Background: It has been shown that very early mobilisation may be an important cause of the very favourable results of stroke unit care in Trondheim, Norway.
Principal Investigators: J Bernhardt, N Chitravas, I Lidarende, A Thrift, B Indredavik
Coordinating Centre: National Stroke Research Institute
Participating Centres: Patients and staff from stroke units in Melbourne Australia (Austin Hospital, Alfred Hospital, Royal Melbourne Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital, and Western Hospital Melbourne) and Trondheim, Norway (St. Olav’s Hospital).
Aim: To (1) describe and compare the pattern of physical activity of stroke patients between stroke units in Trondheim and Melbourne; and (2) identify differences in activity according to stroke severity between the two sites.
Study Design: Between groups comparison.
Method: Melbourne patients were recruited from five metropolitan stroke units Trondheim patients were recruited from the stroke unit at University Hospital, Trondheim. People less than 14 days from stroke onset and receiving an active therapy program were recruited. Ethics approval was obtained from each centre. Open observational behavioural mapping every 10 minutes over a single therapeutic day from 08:00 to 17:00. Up to 25 categories were recorded at each observation period, including people present, location of activity and nature of activity. Treating therapists (physiotherapist, occupational therapists and speech therapists) provided a log of therapy preformed over both observation days. Senior staff completed a survey of stroke unit staffing resources. Logistic regression analyses were undertaken to assess differences in physical activity patterns between stroke units in the two cities.
Recruitment : Completed in Melbourne, May 2002 and Trondheim, March 2003
The following publication have arisen from this study:
Bernhardt, J., Chitravas, N., Lidarende, M. I., Thrift, A. G., & Indredavik, B. (2008). Not all stroke units are the same: A comparison of physical activity patterns in Melbourne, Australia and Trondheim, Norway. Stroke, 39, 2059-2065.
Funding:
“Research serves to make building stones out of stumbling blocks.”
