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Organization of acute stroke services in Poland – Polish Stroke Unit Network development
- II Klinika Neurologii, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii w Warszawie
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Abstract
According to the recommendations of stroke organizations, every stroke patient should be treated in a specialized stroke unit (SU). We aimed to evaluate the development of the SU network in Poland during the past decade.
Material and methodsIn Poland, stroke is treated mainly by neurologists. A questionnaire evaluating structure and staff of neurological departments was sent to all neurological departments in 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2010, we collected data based on information from the National Health Fund. We divided departments into categories: with a comprehensive SU, with a primary SU unit, and departments without an SU. Primary SUs were further divided into class A SUs (fulfilling criteria of the National Programme of Prevention and Treatment of Stroke Experts – eligible for thrombolysis), class B (conditionally fulfilling criteria), and class C (not fulfilling criteria).
ResultsFinal analyses included 87.4% of departments (194/222) in 2003, 85.5% of departments (188/220) in 2005, and 83.1% of departments (182/219) in 2007. According to the above-mentioned classification there were 20 class A SUs in 2003, 58 in 2005 and 5 comprehensive and 51 class A SUs in 2007. In 2012, based on information from the National Health Fund there were 150 SUs, all fulfilling criteria for thrombolysis, 9 of them comprehensive SUs.
ConclusionsThe SU network in Poland is developing dynamically but thrombolysis and endovascular procedures are done too rarely. Now it is necessary to improve quality of stroke services and to make organizational changes in the in-hospital stroke pathways as well as to organize continuous education of medical staff.
Abstract
According to the recommendations of stroke organizations, every stroke patient should be treated in a specialized stroke unit (SU). We aimed to evaluate the development of the SU network in Poland during the past decade.
Material and methodsIn Poland, stroke is treated mainly by neurologists. A questionnaire evaluating structure and staff of neurological departments was sent to all neurological departments in 2003, 2005 and 2007. In 2010, we collected data based on information from the National Health Fund. We divided departments into categories: with a comprehensive SU, with a primary SU unit, and departments without an SU. Primary SUs were further divided into class A SUs (fulfilling criteria of the National Programme of Prevention and Treatment of Stroke Experts – eligible for thrombolysis), class B (conditionally fulfilling criteria), and class C (not fulfilling criteria).
ResultsFinal analyses included 87.4% of departments (194/222) in 2003, 85.5% of departments (188/220) in 2005, and 83.1% of departments (182/219) in 2007. According to the above-mentioned classification there were 20 class A SUs in 2003, 58 in 2005 and 5 comprehensive and 51 class A SUs in 2007. In 2012, based on information from the National Health Fund there were 150 SUs, all fulfilling criteria for thrombolysis, 9 of them comprehensive SUs.
ConclusionsThe SU network in Poland is developing dynamically but thrombolysis and endovascular procedures are done too rarely. Now it is necessary to improve quality of stroke services and to make organizational changes in the in-hospital stroke pathways as well as to organize continuous education of medical staff.
Keywords
stroke unit, classification, development, network
Title
Organization of acute stroke services in Poland – Polish Stroke Unit Network development
Journal
Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska
Issue
Pages
3-7
Page views
237
Article views/downloads
284
DOI
10.5114/ninp.2013.32934
Bibliographic record
Neurol Neurochir Pol 2013;47(1):3-7.
Keywords
stroke unit
classification
development
network
Authors
Iwona Sarzyńska-Długosz
Marta Skowrońska
Anna Członkowska