untitled

Various data sources have shown that significant clinical practice treatment gaps exist with regard to secondary prevention in stroke and transient ischemic attack patients. The Stroke PROTECT program has been specifically designed to bridge such gaps.

This web site provides the essential elements for the initiation and maintenance of a program similar to the Stroke PROTECT program at your hospital, with considerable potential for the improvement of treatment rates, decrease in recurrent hospitalizations, as well as reduction in patient morbidity and mortality. All these tools are fully available on this site for your use.

As with the Stroke PROTECT program the primary goals of your hospitals' cerebrovascular quality improvement program should be to:

Create an interdisciplinary team within the hospital to improve implementation of secondary prevention treatments for atherosclerosis and improve adherence to national guidelines. This team can apply quality improvement measures through preprinted admission orders, care maps, discharge protocols, educational materials, patient self-assessment logs and monitor your hospitals progress with data monitoring tools.
Take advantage of every stroke patient encounter whether in the hospital or the outpatient office setting as a veritable teaching opportunity. Patients are much more likely to be attentive and compliant with medical interventions in the setting of a recent cerebrovascular event and even beyond, especially when constantly reinforced by their physician. If permissible involve the patients' family and loved ones to further enhance compliance.
Ensure that all patients are adhering to the eight goals of the program including compliance with each of the survival enhancing medications, unless contraindicated.