The American Heart Association released new clinical practice guidelines for stroke centers, which include staffing, leadership and resource requirements to reduce variability and improve quality of care.
The statement, published in Stroke, should be viewed as a call to action, according to a Feb. 7 AHA news release. It proposes ideal requirements for stroke centers that may help minimize inconsistencies and improve services at all levels. Recommendations are based on level of certification and include suggestions for stroke program leadership, personnel resources, neuroimaging capabilities, procedural capabilities, hospital bed resources, quality improvement and clinical research and stroke system accountability.
The statement does not make treatment recommendations, only clinical practice guidance, according to the release.