Stroke is the leading cause of death and the cause of the most fatal single organ disease in Korea.
The Clinical Research Center for Stroke (CRCS) was founded, with support from the Ministry of Health and Welfare in the form of grants of the Korea Health 21R&D Projects to establish the proper foundation for enhancing the quality of life of stroke patients. The principal investigator of CRCS is Byung Woo Yoon, a professor in the Department of Neurology at Seoul National University Hospital. The participating researchers are classified into six groups based on the stroke management: primary/secondary prevention, acute/chronic stage treatment, rehabilitation and surgical intervention of strokes. CRCS is trying to construct a nationwide network-based stroke registry, and then secure vast amounts of epidemiological characteristics of Korean stroke patients. Stroke might lead to severe disability and death.
Therefore, prevention and timely and proper treatment is crucial to minimize post-stroke disability. For this purpose, the first version of Korea’s own ‘Clinical Practical Guidelines (CPGs) for Stroke’ was written in October 2009 with the sponsorship of the ‘National Clinical Research Coordination (NCRC) Center Support Program’. The CPGs for Stroke is a systemic review of the vast scientific evidence available, aiming to help physicians determine the best possible treatment at the point of care. A year later, in October 2010, an English version of CPGs was created to broaden the perspective and inform the world of Korea’s situation.
By coordinating a nationwide network for multi-center trials and securing epidemiological data of Korea, the participating researchers of CRCS have published more than 200 articles during the last five years. To promote the active exchange of opinions among stroke specialists, CRCS has been hosting several domestic and international stroke conferences. Currently in phase 2, CRCS is planning to propagate CPGs for stroke through education and the development of a standard operating procedure (SOP) to accomplish a ‘quality index’ for stroke treatment.