Stroke continues to be a significant cause of death and disability in the United States. Approximately 795,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke each year, and stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.  Stroke also remains a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the U.S.

Major advances have been made during the past several decades in stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.  Despite successes in delivering effective new therapies, significant obstacles remain in ensuring that scientific advances are consistently translated into clinical practice. The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, is pursuing a robust stroke advocacy agenda at the federal, state and local levels to help ensure that all stroke patients have access to the latest, high quality care and that we continue to make progress in the fight against stroke.

In many instances, obstacles to stroke care can be related to a fragmentation of care caused by inadequate integration of the various facilities, agencies, and professionals that should closely collaborate in providing stroke care.  The ASA convened a task force of nationally recognized experts to make recommendations for the essential elements of improved stroke care.  This Task Force on the Development of Stroke Systems outlined its recommendations for stroke systems of care in the document entitled “Recommendations for the Establishment of Stroke Systems of Care,” which was published in the peer-reviewed journal Stroke in 2005.  The goal of a stroke system of care is to help eliminate these barriers through the greater coordination of stroke care along the entire continuum, from primary prevention through rehabilitation and recovery.

Key areas of stroke advocacy that seek to address the needs of stroke patients and those at-risk across the stroke system of care include:

• Prevention
• Community Education
• Notification and Response of Emergency Medical Services for Stroke
• Acute Treatment for Stroke
• Sub-Acute Stroke Care and Secondary Prevention for Stroke
• Rehabilitation of Stroke Patients
• Increasing Research Funding for Stroke
• Improving Access to Needed Care