Saving costs using an ounce of prevention: introduction of a regional stroke prevention clinic.
Trillium Health Centre (THC) is one of Canada's largest community hospitals and a regional provider of tertiary-level cardiac, neuroscience, and orthopedic care. In 2001, it was named one of nine Regional Stroke Centres in Ontario, with a mandate to coordinate stroke services across the continuum of care in keeping with best practices in the west Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Within its role as a Regional Stroke Centre, THC has successfully implemented an innovative approach to the delivery of stroke prevention services in its regional catchment area. Building on best practices, it has introduced a specialized and interdisciplinary team to provide timely and effective primary and secondary prevention services. The rapid growth in utilization to more than 2000 patients in the last fiscal year (2004-2005), suggests that the clinic is meeting a real need in the community for stroke prevention services. Many of these patients now benefit from appropriate medical management, stroke awareness education, lifestyle counselling, and expedited referrals to other specialists. The Regional Stroke Prevention Clinic (RSPC) may be the first step in preventing a stroke, thus avoiding the social costs to people with strokes and their families, and the financial burden on the health care system.
Bisaillon
Susan
S
Trillium Health Centre, Mississauga, Ontario. sbisaillon@thc.on.ca
Douen
André
A
Neabel
Barbara
B
Pageau
Nicole
N
Selchen
Dan
D
D019985:Benchmarking / Q000458:organization & administration; D019352:Censuses; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D017046:Cost Savings; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019091:Critical Pathways; D003663:Decision Trees; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006764:Hospitals, Community / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D012041:Regional Medical Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy