Medical Variation and Underuse of Intravenous ( IV ) Thrombolytic Therapy

Stroke is an important cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. It is crucial to reduce practice variation in stroke care by following and adhering to best practice guidelines and quality improvement initiatives to provide consistent care. High compliance rates with these guidelines and standards will promise to improve clinical care and outcomes in stroke patients. Different aspects of practice variation in stroke care including variability in adherence to standards of evidence-based care and in the organization of stroke care are addressed. Finally, the impact of practice variation on stroke care, underlying causes, and different strategies to improve stroke care and how to minimize practice variations are emphasized. Transient Ischemic Attack and Ischemic Stroke