Despite strides in neuroscience service line and stroke care, "proper stroke care is not universally available...it is not what it should be or could be," says one expert.
This article appears in the April 2015 issue of HealthLeaders magazine.
Hospitals and health systems have increased their focus on stroke care over the years, which in turn has helped contribute to reducing stroke deaths as well as improving outcomes for stroke patients; however, there are still significant gains that some hospital-based neuroscience leaders say can be made.
"We feel attention to stroke care is underrated," says Peter Rasmussen, MD, director of Cleveland Clinic's Cerebrovascular Center. "Proper stroke care is not universally available. Generally in the United States, it is not what it should be or could be."
In January, the American Heart Association released its annual update on heart disease and stroke data showing that, from 2000 to 2010, the annual stroke death rate decreased 35.8% and the actual number of stroke deaths declined 22.8%. That's a noteworthy drop, but, on average, someone dies from a stroke every four minutes. Getting to the patient quickly to diagnose what type of stroke is occurring is key, and the phrase many in neurology use is, "Time is brain."
Jacqueline Fellows is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.