Some hospitals have devised their own comprehensive care plans for stroke care, spearheaded by neurologists and other specialists, a stoke care algorithm, embracing everything from the suspicion of stroke and initial hit in the emergency room to the rehab discharge. Certain facilities and emergency rooms are much further along in this process than others. A standard care plan would improve efficiency and effectiveness minimizing hospital lengths of stay, while providing state of the art rehabilitation and caretaker and family supports. In recent years we have discovered the risk factors for stroke. Stroke kills twice as many American women than breast cancer for instance.
Stroke deserves much more public health discussion.
Risk factors can be reduced to prevent stroke and improve the general health and welfare of residents of the commonwealth. Diabetes, affects almost 1 in 9 Pennsylvanians making Pennsylvania one of the most affected states in the country. The public needs to be educated about the considerable health risks of obesity and diabetes and to measures that control these factors especially diet and exercise and aggressive medical therapy. Persons at greatest risk for stroke, lack education and financial resources. Inadequate treatment of hypertension is a major cause of stroke especially in African-Americans who have twice the incidence of strokes as whites.