Age and gender as predictors of allied health quality stroke care

Julie A Luker¹, Julie Bernhardt², Karen A Grimmer-Somers^1
1International Centre for Allied Health Evidence, University of South Australia Adelaide, South Australia, Australia; ²School of Physiotherapy, La Trobe University Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Stroke Division, Florey Neurosciences Institutes Heidelberg Heights, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Background: Improvement in acute stroke care requires the identification of variables which may influence care quality. The nature and impact of demographic and stroke-related variables on care quality provided by allied health (AH) professionals is unknown.
Aims: Our research explores the association of age and gender on an index of acute stroke care quality provided by AH professionals.
Methods: A retrospective clinical audit of 300 acute stroke patients extracted data on AH care, patients' age and gender. AH care quality was determined by the summed compliance with 20 predetermined process indicators. Our analysis explored relationships between this index of quality, age, and gender. Age was considered in different ways (as a continuous variable, and in different categories). It was correlated with care quality, using gender-specific linear and logistic regression models. Gender was then considered as a confounder in an overall model.
Results: No significant association was found for any treatment of age and the index of AH care quality. There were no differences in gender-specific models, and gender did not significantly adjust the age association with care quality.
Conclusion: Age and gender were not predictors of the quality of care provided to acute stroke patients by AH professionals.

Keywords: acute stroke, allied health, quality of care, age, gender