The German Stroke Aid Foundation presents its 2021 annual report
18.03.2022 15:56
Stroke care in Germany is provided at a high level. Even two years of the pandemic couldn’t change that. The German Stroke Aid Foundation sees potential for further improvements primarily in aftercare, as the recently published 2021 annual report shows.
338 Stroke Units – Special stroke wards – has certified the German Stroke Society as a medical specialist association together with the German Stroke Aid Foundation until the end of 2021. Last year, the number of telemedically networked wards rose from 18 to 23. This means that good acute care is now guaranteed almost everywhere in rural regions. Unlike in France or Italy, the quality of acute care in Germany did not suffer from the pandemic.
Patients are treated on the basis of a new S2e guideline for the care of acute ischemic stroke, which was created in 2021 under the leadership of the specialist societies and with the participation of the German Stroke Aid. It takes into account the latest scientific findings.
Corona challenge
However, the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on stroke follow-up care. Many of those affected reported significant limitations in therapeutic care at times. The contact restrictions were particularly worrying for stroke self-help. At the beginning of the pandemic, around 12,000 patients were involved in the 350 self-help groups in the German Stroke Aid network. A survey by the foundation showed that contact with around a third of members was lost during the pandemic. Smaller groups in rural areas in particular are threatened with their existence. The German Stroke Aid wants to revitalize self-help work in 2022 with a funding fund.
The uncertainty of many stroke sufferers was also noticeable in their use of the foundation's information and advice services. An online article on sinus vein thrombosis, a very rare side effect of the Covid-19 vaccination, received 10,000 views in a single day in spring 2021. A trend that the consultants in the Service and advice center the foundation from their telephone patient contacts. The foundation's information offerings were in demand like never before. In just three years, the number of users on the website has increased fivefold. The site received more than 1.5 million visitors last year.
Those people who were already at great risk of loneliness due to their limited mobility have particularly suffered from lockdowns and contact restrictions. The German Stroke Aid countered the increasing isolation by introducing new online formats. The internet-based patient events were unexpectedly well attended. For those inexperienced with the Internet, the stroke help service offered technical introductions.
Politicians want to introduce patient guides
That ended in 2021 Innovation fund project STROKE OWL, one of the largest model projects with patient guides in Germany. 1,600 stroke patients were followed up with follow-up care for a year. Initial results show how positive the pilots' commitment is on the quality of life and adherence of patients. More than half of them said that the guides paid more attention to taking medication, getting enough exercise and eating a balanced diet. In the Ostwestfalen-Lippe model region, the pilots are already being financed by the health insurance companies.
Largely unnoticed by the public, the German Stroke Aid and its numerous partners also overcame a high political hurdle with their project at the end of 2021. The new government wants to find a regulated way during this legislative period so that successful funding projects such as those of the patient guides can be transferred to standard care. “The pilots are permanent in the coalition agreement, that is a huge success,” comments Barbara Steffens, regional head of the Techniker Krankenkasse in North Rhine-Westphalia, who was a consortium partner in the STROKE OWL model project. The most important question now will be how the patient guides should be paid in the future. “I can very well imagine mixed financing. But this has to be discussed broadly with the coalition factions,” said Steffens.
Dr. thinks in similar models. Michael Brinkmeier, Chairman of the German Stroke Aid Foundation. “So that pilots can act in the interests of those seeking help, free from the interests of others, fair financing and a rethinking of the existing, often rigid logic of the social codes are needed,” said Brinkmeier. “As a foundation, we naturally have the staying power that is needed to implement such innovations. With this strength we want to push the issue further.”
Further strengthening of stroke aftercare
In addition to the patient guides, other projects to improve aftercare are on the German Stroke Aid's agenda in 2022. It is well received Qualification of medical supply stores in counseling those affected by stroke. The first five companies completed the training last year, with another five following in spring 2022. Demand remains high.
By the end of last year, Stroke Aid, together with regional partners, was able to provide 572 volunteer stroke helpers train in eight federal states. However, due to the pandemic, their activities were severely restricted. In 2022, the Stroke Aid would like to expand the program and is looking for additional partner organizations in all regions of Germany. The volunteers receive basic training in four to five weekend modules in order to support those affected in their everyday lives, provide them with regional help offers and relieve the burden on relatives. Since the beginning of 2021, interested parties have also been able to complete the training online.
“No offers”, “too far away” or “everything is occupied” – according to an online survey by the Stroke Help Center, these are the most common reasons why stroke sufferers do not do rehabilitation sports. That's why the foundation launched this in 2021 Model project “SPORTnachSCHLAG” in North Rhine-Westphalia, supported by the state government and the state and district sports associations. The project became a great success: by the end of 2021, the foundation was able to win 59 clubs in North Rhine-Westphalia for the project. In 2022 you will receive funding to train trainers and set up new groups.