Health care resources for stroke patients in Spain, 2010: analysis of a national survey by the Cerebrovascular Diseases Study Group.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Stroke is currently a major social health problem. For this reason, the Spanish Ministry of Health approved the Stroke National Strategy (SNS) in 2008 to improve the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients. This plan intends to guarantee 24-hour, 365-days neurological assistance in the whole country by the end of 2010. Our aim was to analyse the situation of stroke assistance in Spain in 2009.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

A committee of neurologists practicing in the different autonomous communities (AC), and who had not participated in the preparation of the SNS, was created. A national survey was performed including the number of stroke units (SU) and their characteristics (monitoring, 24-h/7-day on-call neurology service, nursing staff ratio and the use of protocols), bed ratio of SU/100,000 people, availability of intravenous thrombolysis therapy, neurovascular intervention (NI) and telemedicine.

RESULTS:

We included data from 145 hospitals. There are 39 SU in Spain, unevenly distributed. The ratio between SU bed/number of people/AC varied from 1/75,000 to 1/1,037,000 inhabitants; Navarra and Cantabria met the goal. Intravenous thrombolysis therapy is used in 80 hospitals; the number of treatments per AC was between 7 and 536 in 2008. NI was performed in the 63% of the AC, with a total of 28 qualified hospitals (although only 1 hospital performed it 24h, 7 days a week in 2009). There were 3 hospitals offering clinical telemedicine services.

CONCLUSIONS:

Assistance for stroke patients has improved in Spain compared to previous years, but there are still some important differences between the AC that must be eliminated to achieve the objectives of the SNS.

• Authors: J C López Fernández, J Arenillas Lara, S Calleja Puerta, E Botia Paniagua, I Casado Naranjo, E Deyá Arbona, B Escribano Soriano, M M Freijo Guerrero, D Geffners Sclarsky, A Gil Núñez, A Gil Peralta, A Gil Pujadas, C Gómez Escalonilla, A Lago Martin, J Larracoechea Jausoro, I Legarda Ramírez, J Maestre Moreno, J L Manciñeiras Montero, S Mola Caballero De Rodas, F Moniche Álvarez, R Muñoz Arrondo, J A Vidal Sánchez, F Purroy García, J M Ramírez Moreno, M Rebollo Álvarez Amandi, F Rubio Borrego, T Segura Martin, J Tejada García, C Tejero Juste, J Masjuan Vallejo
• Journal: Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain) (Neurologia) Vol. 26 Issue 8 Pg. 449-54 (Oct 2011) ISSN: 1578-1968 [Electronic] Spain
• PMID: 21440962 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2010 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Fibrinolytic Agents

Topics

• Cerebrovascular Disorders
• Data Collection
• Delivery of Health Care
• Fibrinolytic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Health Resources
• Hospitals
• Humans
• Infusions, Intravenous
• Neurology
• Societies
• Spain
• Stroke (therapy)
• Telemedicine
• Thrombolytic Therapy (methods)
• Workforce