AUTHOR=Vivanco-Hidalgo Rosa M. , Abilleira Sònia , Salvat-Plana Mercè , Ribera Aida , Gallofré Guillem , Gallofré Miquel TITLE=Innovation in Systems of Care in Acute Phase of Ischemic Stroke. The Experience of the Catalan Stroke Programme JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2018.00427 DOI=10.3389/fneur.2018.00427 ISSN=1664-2295 ABSTRACT=

Stroke, and mainly ischemic stroke, is the second cause of death and disability. To confront the huge burden of this disease, innovative stroke systems of care are mandatory. This requires the development of national stroke plans to offer the best treatment to all patients eligible for reperfusion therapies. Key elements for success include a high level of organization, close cooperation with emergency medical services for prehospital assessment, an understanding of stroke singularity, the development of preassessment tools, a high level of commitment of all stroke teams at Stroke Centres, the availability of a disease-specific registry, and local government involvement to establish stroke care as a priority. In this mini review, we discuss recent evidence concerning different aspects of stroke systems of care and describe the success of the Catalan Stroke Programme as an example of innovation. In Catalonia, reperfusion treatment rates have increased in recent years and currently are among the highest in Europe (17.3% overall, 14.3% for IVT, and 6% for EVT in 2016).