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Canada's battle against stroke
The Canadian Stroke Network and the Heart and Stroke
Foundation are leading a national campaign to improve stroke
prevention, treatment and rehabilitation in every province
by 2010.
Science alone cannot prevent the devastating consequences
of a stroke. Not unless we start practising what we know.
The Canadian Stroke Network (CSN) and the Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada (HSF) have taken proactive steps to do
just that – among paramedics, doctors, nurses, rehabilitation
professionals and other health care staff in every province
and territory across the country.
| "It would
be nice if we could find a patent or a drug for
preventing strokes from occurring and nobody is
going to give up on that. But in the interim,
we have the research today that shows what's needed
in rehab and in prevention. We need to apply it
and that's what this is all about it."
Sally Brown, CEO
Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada |
|
The CSN and HSF are leading a national effort to develop
a Canadian Stroke Strategy, in partnership with provincial
ministries of health, public health agencies and other organizations.
The Strategy will aim to bridge the gap between the latest
stroke research and the current practices in most parts of
the country.
Science hasn't yet unearthed all the answers – but
it has discovered many over the past 10 years. For example,
researchers now know that many of the damaging effects of
stroke can be prevented if patients recognize the first warning
signs. If treatment is administered within the first three
hours, the patient can often go home the same day. Stroke
is more preventable and treatable than ever before, yet approximately
50,000 Canadians have a stroke and more than 16,000 people
die each year.
"Not only do we know what should be done when a stroke
happens, we also know how to prevent strokes, as opposed to
other brain conditions like Alzheimer's or Parkinson's,"
says Dr. Antoine Hakim, CEO and Scientific Director of
the CSN. "But if you ask if stroke is being prevented the
best way we know how today, the answer is 'no'."
Canada is on track to bridge that gap before the end of
the decade. On September 12, the Networks of Centres of Excellence
announced that the CSN would receive $25.6 million in
renewed funding and the HSF is contributing a further $3 million.
The Canadian Stroke Strategy is a key priority for CSN over
the coming years.
Towards a National Strategy
The goal isn't to develop a one-size fits all strategy. Rather,
the CSN and HSF aim to establish a national framework and
structure that would enable provinces to improve systems,
policies, professional education and best practices at the
local level where health care is delivered.
"If we're
going to make a difference in stroke, we need
to bring together all those organizations who
have a role to play, including ministries of health,
the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research, drug companies,
research enterprises and universities. The Networks
of Centres of Excellence program is uniquely positioned
to help establish those partnerships."
Dr. Antoine Hakim
CEO, Scientific Director
Canadian Stroke Network |
|
"Every province has paid attention to stroke, but in a
different way – sometimes putting the emphasis on rehab,
sometimes on prevention, sometimes on the acute care of the
patient with the stroke," adds Dr. Hakim. "It
shouldn't matter where you live in Canada. You should have access
to the best possible care, rehabilitation and prevention methods."
Working with the provincial arm of the HSF, Ontario has already
rolled out a provincial stroke strategy. Sally Brown, CEO of
the HSF, says the success of the Ontario strategy prompted the
CSN and her organization to join forces to raise standards across
the country – something that would have been difficult
for either organization to do alone.
"You need a national networking organization like the
Stroke Network to do this across the country and to translate
research into improvements in health care and the health care
systems. It's creating the momentum and the capacity to drive
forward change."
And momentum is growing. Alberta is finalizing its provincial
stroke strategy and Manitoba is considering a pilot project.
The Canadian Stroke Strategy has also provided provinces with
seed money to get the ball rolling.
| "Our goal
is to take the important accomplishments of the
past few years and drive a technological transformation
in the Canadian economy, to push the scientific
advances occurring on campuses and in research
institutions across this country into the marketplace,
to the benefit of the economy… ultimately
to the benefit of citizens."
The Honourable David Emerson
Ministry of Industry
February 25, 2005 |
|
The CSN and HSF have struck working groups across the country
to develop national platforms to support public awareness
building, guidelines and standards of care, training of health
professionals, coordinated research and ongoing monitoring.
All levels of government will be engaged as the strategy develops.
In August, a steering committee was formed to oversee the
development of the Canadian Stroke Strategy. Chaired by Kenneth
Fyke, who headed Saskatchewan's 2001 Commission on Medicare,
the committee will engage more partners, stakeholders and
ministries in developing the vision and plan further.
The Canadian Stroke Strategy also plans to develop an economic
model that shows the cost of stroke to each province, and
the potential savings from having a strategy in place.
More than 300,000 Canadians live with the effects of stroke,
representing a direct cost of $2.7 billion a year to
the national economy. "The Canadian Stroke Strategy can
change these numbers, as well as prevent strokes, reduce suffering
and save lives," says Dr. Hakim. "But first
we need to get the research results into our communities."
www.canadianstrokenetwork.ca
|
