In-hospital delays for stroke care: losing sight of patient-centered care
The emergence of patient-centered care has offered a challenge for health professionals in some settings to fully engage patients in all stages of the care process. For example, stroke is a condition that requires urgent and comprehensive care. This comprehensive care may be provided to patients who are experiencing compromised cognitive and communication skills. In addition, “in-hospital delays” in care can occur during the process of evaluation and treatment. In-hospital delays in receipt of acute stroke care and the challenges of post-stroke cognitive and communication functioning can result in some patients having negative perceptions of the care process. This brief communication is an exploration of focus group data that suggest achieving the key elements of patient-centered care is challenging in acute care settings that provide care for complex conditions such as stroke.