ABSTRACT
Background: Recent advances in acute stroke therapy have been shown to improve clinical outcome and therefore reduce long-term disability. Acute therapy procedures in stroke have a limited time frame after onset of symptoms; thus, rapid emergency management is critical. The Tyrolean Stroke Pathway was developed to optimize the entire treatment pathway from stroke onset to outpatient rehabilitation. Objectives: The description of the Tyrolean Stroke Pathway as an example to optimize the entire treatment pathway of stroke patients in a central European alpine region with a focus on prehospital management. Materials and methods: In four subprojects from the prehospital phase up to outpatient rehabilitation, the project optimized intersections between different phases of care and evaluated the care processes using quality assurance measures. Results: After implementation, thrombolysis rates doubled and functional outcome of stroke patients after 3 months improved and complications, e.g., pneumonia, declined. Access to rehabilitation improved, particularly because of the establishment of quality assured and funded outpatient rehabilitation. Conclusions: The project showed that a holistic standardized stroke pathway from acute management up to outpatient rehabilitation can be successfully implemented in clinical routine. The project improved the entire health care pathway of stroke patients. The Stroke Action Plan for Europe 2018-2030 recommends to have national plans for stroke that encompass the entire chain of care.
