Brazilian Intervention to Increase Evidence Usage in Practice - Stroke (BRIDGE-Stroke)

A Cluster Randomized Trial to Evaluate the Increase in Usage of Evidence-based Practices for Stroke Treatment Using a Multifaceted Strategy

Phase 1: An observational study ( registry) will be conducted with the objective of documenting the practice of stroke treatment in brazilian and latin american hospitals.

Phase 2: A cluster randomized trial aiming to evaluate the effect of a multifaceted strategy to increase evidence based treatments usage for stroke patients. The hospitals will be randomized into two groups: the multifaceted strategy group and the usual care group.

Study Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate a multifaceted strategy to increase evidence based therapies for patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Study Population; Patients with suspected stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) with symptoms lasting up to 24h hours.

Quality Improvement Multifaceted Intervention: The strategy includes a simulation based team training, case manager, check lists, reminders and educational material.

Patient Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients over 18 years old, diagnosed with ischemic stroke (including transient ischemic attack) with symptoms lasting up to 24 hours.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with signs of hemorrhagic stroke, expansive lesions, central nervous system infections, and those coming from institutions that did not provide institutional approval form signed by the patients' guardians.

Cluster Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hospitals with a emergency department, with available tomography, neurologist and alteplase

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hospitals that don't provide Institutional Authorization Form