[Stroke health care plan (ICTUS II. 2010)]

Abstract

Introduction: The Spanish Stroke Group published the "Plan for stroke healthcare delivery" in 2006 with the aim that all stroke patients could receive the same degree of specialised healthcare according to the stage of their disease, independently of where they live, their age, gender or ethnicity. This Plan needs to be updated in order to introduce new developments in acute stroke.

Methods: A committee of 19 neurologists specialised in neurovascular diseases representing different regions of Spain evaluated previous experience with this Plan and the available scientific evidence according to published literature.

Background: The new organised healthcare system must place emphasis on the characteristics of the different care levels with promotion of Reference Stroke Hospitals, set up less restrictive Stroke Code activation criteria that include new therapeutic options, establish new standard measures for endovascular treatment and develop tele-medicine stroke networks.