Key result
Audit feedback linked to ~25% higher ECG availability during initial clerking for acute stroke admissions.
Why the study?
AF remains under-detected in acute stroke admissions, and a 2024 audit identified suboptimal ECG documentation. This re-audit evaluated whether compliance improved following audit feedback alone.
Does audit feedback improve ECG documentation for atrial fibrillation detection in acute stroke admissions?
Observational (n=72)
No
Does audit feedback improve ECG documentation for atrial fibrillation detection in acute stroke admissions?
Audit feedback alone can substantially improve ECG documentation compliance for atrial fibrillation detection in acute stroke admissions.
Supports QI to raise ECG availability in acute stroke clerking; leaves open effects on diagnosis and outcomes pending RCTs.
Background and aims Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a major modifiable risk factor for ischaemic stroke yet remains under-detected in acute stroke admissions. National guidelines recommend routine ECG monitoring to facilitate early AF detection and timely initiation of secondary prevention. A 2024 audit at Fairfield General Hospital identified suboptimal ECG documentation. This re-audit evaluated whether compliance improved following audit feedback alone. Methods A prospective re-audit included 32 adult patients admitted with stroke or TIA to Ward 5 between 2–10 April 2025. Patients transferred from other hospitals were excluded to reflect local admission pathways. Outcomes were compared with the 2024 audit cohort (n=40). Measures included ECG availability during initial clerking, availability by post-take ward round (PTWR), completion rates of requested ECGs, and the proportion of patients with no ECG performed at any stage. Results ECG availability during initial clerking increased from 45.0% to 56.3% (+11.3 percentage points). Availability by PTWR improved from 52.5% to 65.6% (+13.1 percentage points). Compliance with subsequent ECG requests rose from 45.5% to 71.4% (+25.9 percentage points). Completion of requested ECGs by PTWR showed the greatest improvement, increasing from 30.0% to 90.0% (+60.0 percentage points). The proportion of patients with no ECG at any stage decreased from 22.5% to 12.5%. Conclusions ECG documentation compliance improved substantially despite no formal implementation of previously recommended interventions, suggesting audit feedback and clinician awareness can independently drive practice change. However, ongoing documentation gaps highlight the need for system-level interventions and repeated audit cycles to achieve optimal AF detection in acute stroke care. Conflict of interest Muhtasim Fuad: Nothing to disclose, Haris Mohammad: Nothing to disclose, Sadaf Alvi: Nothing to disclose, Narayanamoorthi Saravannan: Nothing to disclose, Amrita Badanahatti: Nothing to disclose, Shrina Patel: Nothing to disclose, Saad Abbas: Nothing to disclose
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Fuad et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Acute stroke or TIA (n=72). Audit feedback vs. 2024 audit cohort (pre-feedback) was evaluated on ECG availability during initial clerking. Audit feedback improved ECG availability during initial clerking from 45.0% to 56.3% and completion of requested ECGs by post-take ward round from 30.0% to 90.0% in acute stroke admissions.
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