Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, University of California at Los Angeles, 710 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Ovibes@mednet.ucla.edu
Care after stroke hospitalization can provide several opportunities to optimize vascular risk reduction. However, not much is known about poststroke practice patterns among neurologists. Such knowledge may help direct specific efforts to improve the impact of practicing neurologists on clinical outcomes after stroke.
A survey soliciting information on processes of care in the outpatient setting after recent hospitalization for ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack was mailed to a random sample of 833 US and Canadian neurologist-members of the American Academy of Neurology.
A total of 475 (57%) responses were received. Practice demographics of survey responders and nonresponders were largely similar. Fourteen percent of respondents identified themselves as vascular neurologists. Overall, respondents reported frequently checking for medication adherence and counseling patients on lifestyle modification. However, neurologists reported screening more frequently for diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia than actually treating these conditions (all P