Stroke symptoms - "Think…F.A.S.T."

How do you know if someone is having a stroke? Think… F.A.S.T.

The Stroke Foundation recommends the F.A.S.T. test as an easy way to remember the most common signs of stroke. More Information on Stroke as An Emergency.

Priorities

NSW Stroke Strategy / Model of Care

• Development of an overarching stoke strategy  for NSW
• Including reviewing and improving access to Stroke unit Care across Metropolitan and Rural NSW
• Review of the functionality of the Stroke Incentive funding  'BED 69'

NSW Stroke Reperfusion Program (SRP)

Focus on all the components that can enhance the pathways for metropolitan and rural access to reperfusion therapies

• Pre-notification
  • Collaboration with NSW Ambulance and the cardiac network to consider  statewide systems for pre-notification
  • Collaboration with ANSW to deploy in the field triage tool for stroke Watch video
• NSW Telestroke Pilot Watch video
  • A  partnership of the ACI Stroke Network's Reperfusion and Telestroke Working Group , EHealth,  ACI Telehealth Network and three LHDs to implement and evaluate a Telestroke Proof of Concept and Model of Care
  • The development of a Telestroke  supporting toolkit
• Endovascular Clot Retrieval
  • Support the MOH in progressing the establishment of  a ECR AR-DRG Code Progress the development of State Wide Neurointerventional Service
  • Develop ECR Referral Criteria Guide to ensure all clinically appropriate patients in NSW have timely access to neurointerventional services when required.
  • To undertake a State Stroke Reperfusion Program Economic Evaluation in collaboration with the ACI Health Economics and Evaluations Team.

Stroke Quality Improvement

Includes activities to benchmark performance and drive the spread of quality improvement in stroke across NSW

• Australian Stroke Clinical Registry
  • Implementation of the  NSW Foundation Program for the collection of stroke clinical data and outcomes
  • Convene a Stroke data and benchmarking workshop to review the data, benchmark and inform statewide planning and  local quality improvement
  • To explore options for automated data collection in collaboration with LHDS PowerForms NSLHD and external application Rounds 3
• Rounds3
  • To support a pilot of Rounds3 decision support application targeted at Junior medical Officers who are involved in providing acute stroke management
• Stroke Quality Improvement Partnership (SQIP)
  • Collaboration with the ACI Rehabilitation Network to implement and share evidence based quality improvement projects in stroke care.

Education

The provision of a state-wide continual education and training strategy through the following events:

• ACI Stroke Education Day
• Smart Strokes 2018
• Monthly Webinars
• Quality Improvement Forums

Achievements

• Collaborative education sessions with ACI Cardiac and Endocrine Networks for rural, remote and regional clinicians on diabetes, cardiac and stroke ( DICAST ) issues, including sessions for rural general practitioners with specialists.
• Establishment of 35 stroke services (acute stroke units and stroke services) in NSW public hospitals since 2003.
• Audits of more than 5,000 cases have demonstrated improvement in patient outcomes resulting from the specialist stroke units.
• Rural education workshops to increase awareness of stroke issues among allied health, ambulance and nursing staff from rural inpatient, outpatient and community services.
• Rural education evenings for general practitioners and hospital medical staff.
• Participation in the Australian Stroke Coalition’s workforce, training and professional development, response to acute events and access to stroke units and rehabilitation working parties.

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