TORONTO, June 18, 2012 /CNW/ - A detailed evaluation of the province's stroke care system shows patients are receiving better care, and there is still room for more improvement. Today, the Ontario Stroke Network (OSN) and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) released a report card that compares the level of access, treatment and rehabilitation of people who suffer strokes across the province, showing that wait times for preventive surgery and diagnostic testing are being reduced across the province.
Each Local Health Integration Network (LHIN) received its own detailed report card, which shows the progress being made, and will be used to review gaps and identify solutions that will further enhance the stroke care system. A first in Canada, the OSN stroke report cards, introduced in 2011, grade the delivery of care for each of Ontario's 14 LHINs providing data on stroke care and service, both regionally and provincially.
"While these results are encouraging, the detailed analysis shows that we still have a way to go in stroke rehabilitation and in making sure that everyone understands the signs and symptoms of strokes so patients can get care as quickly as possible," says Christina O'Callaghan, Executive Director of the Network.
Shannonville Ontario mom Brandy Englesdorfer knows first-hand about how the report cards are improving access and care. She suffered a stroke just one month before her 36th birthday. Englesdorfer had prepared breakfast for her three children and suddenly experienced extreme vision problems. She instructed her five year-old daughter to call 911.
When Englesdorfer arrived at Belleville General Hospital, staff activated their Code Stroke process which links to several report card indicators including access to the drug tPA, which destroys blood clots and can limit stroke damage. "Being able to arrive quickly to hospital, getting the tPA, having in-hospital and outpatient rehabilitationhas given me back my life," says Englesdorfer. "I'll get to see my kids grow up."
The following areas of improvement in stroke care were identified in the report:
The report cards both illustrate the progress being made and also demonstrate to the LHINs where further improvements are needed. "The report cards' concise presentation makes this a very useful tool," says Mimi Lowi-Young, CEO of the Central West LHIN. "It allows us to quickly identify gaps, prioritize investments and improve care."
Some of the recommendations made by the report include:
Improve public awareness of signs, symptoms and stroke risk factors
Stroke can be prevented by better management of risk factors, such as hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and smoking. Once a stroke is suspected, the faster patients get to hospital, the better their chances of receiving treatments that could help minimize the effects of the stroke.
Read the original here:
Stroke care system passes annual exam: steady progress being made