Researchers identify barriers to faster stroke treatment
When someone experiences a stroke, every minute can mean the difference between recovery and permanent disability.
A University of Waterloo-led study has uncovered workflow barriers contributing to delays in stroke treatment, emphasizing the critical importance of swift intervention. Door-to-needle time, the interval between arrival at the hospital and clot-busting medication administration, often exceeds recommended targets. The research, involving experts from the management science and engineering department and WRHN stroke teams, analyzed 218 acute stroke cases over three years and discovered that delays stem from communication gaps, consultation requirements, ED crowding, staffing shortages, and imaging constraints.
Stroke care is often described by the phrase "time is brain," as brain tissue is lost with every delayed minute of treatment. With over 89,000 strokes occurring annually in Canada, rapid treatment is crucial. While stroke pathways function, they are not consistently fast enough to meet performance targets. The study recommends standardizing pre-alert processes, direct EMS-to-CT transfers, enhanced stroke-related training, improved staff coverage during non-peak hours, and modernizing systems to reduce consultation delays.
This collaborative effort highlights the potential of integrating analytics, process improvement, and clinical expertise to optimize stroke care pathways. The team aims to expand its research to cover all Code Stroke cases and the entire stroke care continuum, ultimately supporting predictive models to proactively address delays.
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