title: Bringing innovation to stroke care: development of a comprehensive stroke unit.
abstract: Much work has been done in the past 10 years to research and document best practices in stroke care along the continuum of care. The challenge now for stroke care practitioners is to turn those best practices into reality in a clinical setting. In spite of a general understanding and acceptance of the benefits to the patient, an organization's culture and limited access to resources can frustrate our best efforts to introduce best practices at the bedside. Trillium Health Centre, a community hospital serving a diverse community of more than one million people, has turned best practice stroke care guidelines into reality by developing a 14-bed comprehensive stroke unit. This innovative approach to care uses specialized stroke teams, an interdisciplinary approach to care, and a single unit where the patient remains in the same bed throughout the acute and rehabilitation stages of care. Commitment to the new delivery model by formal leaders, informal leaders, and front-line staff and a supportive organizational structure contributed to an expedited and successful implementation. All changes were implemented without an increase in the overall resources assigned to the unit. Early results show that the average length of stay is shorter than the national standard and that provider and patient satisfaction have improved.
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience/MSK Health Systems, Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, Ontario. sbisaillon@thc.on.ca
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bisaillon
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Douloff
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leblanc
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pageau
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selchen
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Woloshyn
mesh_terms: D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D006764:Hospitals, Community; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009864:Ontario; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D020521:Stroke / Q000451:nursing*; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation