Implementation Research Network in Stroke Care Quality – IRENE

Stroke is second leading cause of death and the leading cause of life-long disability worldwide. Effective methods for stroke treatment exist; however the implementation of these treatment methods is very low and therefore constitutes the most challenging problem in current stroke management. In many countries and many hospitals, patients do not receive effective treatment because implementation framework is missing.

The interdisciplinary consortium aims to understand contextual factors, develop implementation framework and test its effectiveness. Effective implementation framework will have break-through impact on public health. Research results of this Action can save tens of thousands of lives, eliminate hundreds of thousands of disabilities after stroke, and save millions of euros in healthcare costs. Networking is essential part of such large-scale implementation project.

The core activity of the IRENE COST Action is to improve public health through; a) Networking which will facilitate understanding of contextual factors, in between-country differences in innovation-values fit and implementation climate, b) a quality registry that will provide a cohesive picture of the implementation of stroke treatments; followed by c) the dissemination of results to the main stakeholders (e.g. hospitals and Ministries of Health) to implement new mechanisms to improve the outcome of stroke.

The IRENE COST Action will be conducted mainly in European countries where the burden of stroke is higher (Action focus countries) while quality of stroke care is lower and resources for healthcare are less developed compared to other European countries. IRENE COST Action will alleviate disparities in stroke care and improve outcomes after stroke.