Acute audits
The Acute Audit measures Australia’s stroke care against evidence-based clinical guidelines - helping clinicians, healthcare administrators, and governments to identify improvement opportunities of stroke care services throughout Australia.
Forming part of the National Stroke Audit Program, the biannual acute audit tracks the effectiveness of acute stroke care - from the availability of stroke units, to timely assessments and interventions, to discharge planning and outcomes.
2023 Acute audit
The last Acute Services Audit was held in 2023.
- 2023 Acute Services National Report
- Hospital slide decks [ VIC | NSW | NT | WA | SA | ACT | QLD | TAS ]
- Clinical audit data dictionary
- Organisational survey data dictionary
Past reports
- 2021 National Stroke Audit - Acute Services Report
- 2021 National Stroke Audit - Acute Services Report Supplementary
- 2021 at a glance
- 2019 National Stroke Audit - Acute Services Report
- 2019 National Stroke Audit - Acute Services Report Supplementary
- 2019 at a glance
- 2017 National Stroke Audit - Acute Services Report
Where the data comes from
Acute audits are part of the National Stroke Audit and comprises:
An Organisational Survey
An Organisational Survey of acute hospitals across Australia provides information about the resources available to deliver acute stroke care, such as the availability of stroke units, imaging services and interdisciplinary staff.
The Organisational Survey questions assess adherence to the National Acute Stroke Services Framework 2019, which provides national recommendations related to acute stroke elements of care, including what defines a stroke unit, comprehensive stroke services, primary stroke services and general hospital services.
A Clinical Audit
The Clinical Audit involving the retrospective review of up to 40 consecutive patients measures adherence to evidence-based process of care outlined in the Clinical Guidelines for Stroke Management 2017 and the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Health Care’s (ACSQHC) Acute Stroke Clinical Care Standard.
These processes of care include timely assessments by clinicians, diagnostic procedures, early interventions, interdisciplinary care and discharge planning. Timing of the delivery of various aspects of care and discharge outcomes are also measured.
The Australian Stroke Data Tool (AuSDaT) provides hospital clinicians in acute and rehab settings to collect clinical monitoring in stroke care. Visit the Australian Stroke Coalition website for more information on AuSDaT. The AuSDaT can be directly accessed at tool.ausdat.org.au
Stroke Foundation respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia, whose sovereignty was never ceded, and acknowledges their continuing connection to land, water, sky and community. We pay our respect to the peoples, cultures, and Elders past, present and emerging, for they hold the memories, culture and hope of their peoples.
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