Philips and WSO publish policy paper calling for “revolution in stroke care”

A Philips press release notes that, thanks to new technologies, procedures and clinical insights, stroke may be prevented, treated and even reversed if treatment is initiated rapidly. However, despite a strong evidence base, there is insufficient focus on healthcare expenditure and research funding to advance stroke care, the release continues. As a result, “access to timely treatment remains limited and huge disparities in stroke care persist”.

The joint WSO-Philips policy paper—which is accompanied by an editorial in The Lancet Neurology and aligned with recent World Health Organization (WHO) guidance—proposes six policy interventions to improve outcomes, and reduce direct costs with substantial potential savings, releasing essential resources for other priorities across struggling healthcare systems. These interventions are as follows:

1. Set targets and quality indicators, assess current gaps and prioritise stroke care in global, national and regional health plans
2. Expand and invest in infrastructures for essential stroke services, including stroke units and intravenous thrombolysis
3. Expand and invest in (capital) infrastructures for advanced stroke services: mechanical thrombectomy
4. Increase the necessary skills in the health workforce
5. Make sure that payment models provide adequate reimbursement of essential and advanced stroke care
6. Develop a strategy to realise the potential savings from essential and advanced acute stroke care

Despite a plethora of recent clinical trials having demonstrated the benefits of mechanical thrombectomy in treating stroke, Philips’ recent release notes that access to this procedure remains “the exception rather than the norm” in global stroke care. For example, an average of around 7% of all ischaemic stroke patients in the European region received this treatment in 2019. Philips therefore avers that policymakers have a “crucial opportunity” to accelerate the rollout of this essential, advanced stroke care alongside the necessary associated infrastructure and policy to support.

“The impact of thrombolysis and thrombectomy on stroke patient outcomes has been established for more than a decade,” said WSO president Sheila Martins (Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil). “More recent research has also demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of these treatments in low-income, middle-income and high-income countries. Investing in acute stroke care provides governments with an unmissable opportunity to reduce the burden of stroke to individuals and society—and to deliver on their UN SDG [United Nations Sustainable Development Goal] 3 commitment. The time to act is now.”

“Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide,” added Carla Goulart Peron, Philips’ chief medical officer. “The burden of stroke on patients, their families, the healthcare system, and society, is huge. The time is now for a coordinated approach to revolutionise stroke care, bringing together investment in care and treatment, infrastructure, awareness and a focus on effective policymaking. The benefits are significant, both for healthcare systems and societies, and most importantly in delivering better care for millions of patients worldwide.”

Philips and the WSO signed a two-year partnership in October 2023 focused on advocacy, education, and raising awareness of stroke as a global healthcare challenge. In May of this year, Philips also supported the WSO side-event at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA; 27 May–1 June, Geneva, Switzerland), entitled “United in Action to Transform Stroke Care”, which the company’s recent release claims was the first ever WHA satellite session dedicated specifically to stroke.