- Title
- Shifting gears: an inpatient medical record audit and post-discharge survey of return-to-driving following stroke/transient ischaemic attack
- Creator
- Frith, Janet; Warren-Forward, Helen; Hubbard, Isobel; James, Carole
- Relation
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal Vol. 64, Issue 3, p. 264-272
- Publisher Link
- http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1440-1630.12359
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2017
- Description
- Background/aim: In Australia, all stroke survivors should not drive for four weeks and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) survivors should not drive for two weeks. This study investigates the provision of return-to-driving education in the acute hospital setting and the use of this education by a cohort of Australian patients who have experienced a mild stroke or TIA and who are discharged directly home from their acute hospital admission. Methods: A medical record audit was conducted of stroke patients discharged home from a regional hospital in Australia. All audited patients were sent a post-discharge anonymous survey of their post-stroke driving behaviours. Results: A total of 78 medical records were audited (32 women, 46 men; 15 TIA, 63 strokes). Mean age was 67.4 years (SD = 13.7, range 20-89 years). Only 27 (34.6%) patients had documented evidence that return-to-driving was discussed with them by a health professional, with only 10 (12.8%) having a restriction period documented. A total of 31 surveys were analysed (10 females, 21 males) and 20 participants had returned to driving. From 31 survivors of mild stroke/TIA, 21 recalled receiving advice on return-to-driving and seven resumed driving during the non-driving period of one month. Conclusions: Inconsistencies exist in the documentation of return-to-driving management after acute stroke or TIA and it is unknown whether patients who lack documentation in their medical records were provided with education or not.
- Subject
- automobile driving; cerebrovascular accident; occupational therapy; return-to-driving guidelines
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1352720
- Identifier
- uon:30944
- Identifier
- ISSN:0045-0766
- Language
- eng
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