Critical pathway and hospital-hospital cooperation in acute stroke. Reduction of the length of hospital stay.

Stroke patients tend to stay longer in one hospital compared to patients with other neurological disease. After the introduction of 3 types of critical pathway dedicated for various severity of acute ischemic stroke in 1995, the average length of inhospital days declined from 30.0 days (1993) to 15.3 days (1998), ie 49% reduction. This reduction was achieved by the use of critical pathway and the hospital-hospital cooperation.