Newswise — The University of Washington Medicine Stroke Center at Harborview Medical Center was named one of the top three performers among 32 participants in the University HealthSystem Consortium's (UHC's) 2005 Stroke Benchmarking Project. The University of Virginia Health System and New York University were the other two.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability for Americans. It is also a leading cause of admissions to UHC member hospitals. UHC conducted the study to assess urgent care, acute care hospitalization and treatment, risk factor identification and modification, education and prevention of a recurrent stroke, and rehabilitation services.
The project evaluated ischemic strokes based on 19 key indicators found in evidence-based medical literature, including urgent care and treatment that includes the use of all approved therapies for reducing long-term disabilities. Participants were scored using an applied algorithm developed by UHC statisticians. The top-scoring institutions were considered candidates as best performers. Site visits were conducted to validate better performance and to identify practices and policies that contribute to their consistent success.
Harborview emerged as a top performer based on its scores on relevant key indicators and practices. According to Dr. David Tirschwell, co-director of the UW Medicine Stroke Center at Harborview, their keys to success are: * Integration with Emergency Medical Services (EMS) * Written care protocols * Quality improvement activities * Community and professional education
The local EMS control center is housed in the Emergency Department at Harborview and advance notification allows the stroke team ultra-early access to the patient. The use of evidence-based protocols and pathways ensures that consistent care is provided to all patients. The program is committed to ongoing quality improvement and customer satisfaction. Harborview received certification as a Primary Stroke Center from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in January 2005 and has used the certification process to strengthen its stroke program and resources.
UHC, formed in 1984, is an alliance of U.S. academic health centers, which provides its members with a variety of resources to improve clinical and operational performance. UHC's mission is to advance knowledge, foster collaboration, and promote change to help member institutions succeed. Participants pay an annual fee that enables them to enroll in benchmarking projects offered.
For more information about UHC's Benchmarking Program, or about the 2005 Stroke Benchmarking Project, contact Jackie Dostal at 630/645-8160.
Harborview Medical Center is owned by King County and managed by the University of Washington. It is the only Level I trauma center in Washington, Montana, Alaska and Idaho.
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