“Mobile after a stroke”

05.07.2011 12:37

The German Stroke Aid Foundation and the medical technology company Otto Bock HealthCare have launched the “Mobile after Stroke” initiative. The focus is on improving the care of stroke patients in rehabilitation and aftercare.

Every year, 250,000 German citizens suffer a stroke. Only around 25 percent are referred to a rehabilitation clinic following acute treatment. If necessary services are not provided, this results in short-term savings for the responsible payer. However, as a whole, there is only a shift in society, according to the Stroke Aid. In North Rhine-Westphalia, according to calculations by the Institute for Work and Technology, around 25 percent of stroke-related care services, or 150 million euros, are provided by social welfare providers.

“Medicine, care and therapy take place at a high level in Germany,” explains Dr. Brigitte Mohn, Chairwoman of the Board of the German Stroke Aid Foundation. Nevertheless, the result for the individual patient is not always good. The rigid sectorization of the health system makes it difficult to provide optimal care. “There are still breaks in the supply chain. For example, the path from the acute clinic to the rehabilitation clinic is not uniformly regulated.”

The cooperation partners Deutsche Stroke Aid and Otto Bock HealthCare are organizing rehabilitation forums in three pilot regions in Germany. Moderated and scientifically supported, those involved in stroke care analyze the weak points in the supply chain and work together to develop solutions for improvement. The start took place at the end of June in Bielefeld. Around 100 experts met there for the 1st Ostwestfalen-Lippe Stroke Rehabilitation Forum at the invitation of the Stroke Aid and Otto Bock Healthcare.