Better outcomes for stroke patients is the shared goal of the Angels Initiative and the European Stroke Organization (ESO). Over the past six years, the synergy and partnership between these two organisations has delivered many advantages, including the launch of the ESO Angels Awards programme.
ESO Angels Awards recognise stroke care excellence, promote quality monitoring and drive continuous improvement. The awards criteria are based on ESO guidelines and reflect the shared proposition that an organised stroke pathway and standardised stroke unit care are key to raising the standard of care.
One of the goals of the ESO’s Stroke Action Plan for Europe is to treat 90% of all stroke patients in Europe in a dedicated stroke unit by 2030. This forms the basis for their ESO SU accreditation programme, which is to be expedited with the support of Angels consultants across Europe.
The ESO defines a stroke unit as a dedicated geographically clearly defined area or ward in a hospital where stroke patients are admitted and cared for by a multi-professional team who have specialist knowledge, training and skills in stroke care and where care is coordinated through regular multidisciplinary meetings.
A stroke centre refers to hospital infrastructure and related processes of care that provide the full pathway of stroke unit care, including pre-hospital care, ongoing rehabilitation and secondary prevention, and access to neurosurgical and vascular intervention. A stroke unit is the most important component of a stroke centre.
The goal of ESO accreditation is to build a network of ESO certified facilities that meet the standards of good organisation, knowledge, skills, experience and quality to improve stroke patient care. Certification is obtained through an online application process and evaluation by one national and two international auditors, and must be renewed annually.
Under the new partnership, hospitals will receive communication about ESO certification when they enrol with Angels. In countries where there are dedicated Angels Consultants, the consultancy process could in future not only support hospitals to improve the standard of care, but also help them become eligible for certification.
Hospitals that achieve platinum or diamond status in the ESO Angels awards programme will be invited to apply for certification, as meeting the criteria for these awards requires the same high standards as those set by ESO accreditation.
Hospitals that want to submit applications for certification can do so here. More information is also available here or by emailing eso-certification@eso-stroke.org or contacting your Angels consultant.
