Health Discoveries in General Health News
Stroke care progresses in national program aimed at improving treatment
April 19, 2010
A study that reviewed the cases of 1 million stroke patients found that their care and outcomes improved significantly at hospitals participating in a nationwide program to enhance stroke treatments.
"Get with the Guidelines Stroke Program," sponsored by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, looked at the care received by people who had strokes from 2003 to 2009. Nearly 1,400 hospitals across the U.S. are involved in the program.
The study of their experiences was published online in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The hospitals were evaluated on several areas of treatment, including the use of clot-busting drugs, anticoagulation therapy and cholesterol-reducing drugs.
"The study has shown what is of primary importance to those who rely on the nation's hospitals for optimal stroke care. The implementation of "Get With the Guidelines–Stroke" has resulted in substantial improvement in care at a rapid pace, in a variety of hospital types and in multiple hospitals simultaneously," said Dr. Lee Schwamm, who heads the program's national committee and is director of stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About a dozen clinical trials related to cardiovascular disease are under way at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the research facility of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.
"Get with the Guidelines Stroke Program," sponsored by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association, looked at the care received by people who had strokes from 2003 to 2009. Nearly 1,400 hospitals across the U.S. are involved in the program.
The study of their experiences was published online in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes. The hospitals were evaluated on several areas of treatment, including the use of clot-busting drugs, anticoagulation therapy and cholesterol-reducing drugs.
"The study has shown what is of primary importance to those who rely on the nation's hospitals for optimal stroke care. The implementation of "Get With the Guidelines–Stroke" has resulted in substantial improvement in care at a rapid pace, in a variety of hospital types and in multiple hospitals simultaneously," said Dr. Lee Schwamm, who heads the program's national committee and is director of stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital.
About a dozen clinical trials related to cardiovascular disease are under way at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, the research facility of the North Shore-LIJ Health System.