PROTECT: A coordinated stroke treatment program to prevent recurrent thromboembolic events

Objective: To assess the impact of the Preventing Recurrence of Thromboembolic Events through Coordinated Treatment (PROTECT) Program on achievement of its eight secondary prevention goals at the time of discharge. Methods: Achievement rates for the eight program goals at time of discharge were compared in all patients discharged from a university hospital-based stroke service with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke or TIA during a 1-year period after implementation of the PROTECT Program vs rates obtained from a comparable group of patients admitted to the same service during the preceding year. Results: Demographic and medical features were comparable in the baseline and intervention cohorts for all patients with cerebral ischemia presumed due to large-vessel atherosclerosis or small-vessel disease (baseline year n = 117, intervention n = 130). Implementation rates in patients without specific contraindications increased for all four medication goals: 97 to 100% for antithrombotic agents, 68 to 97% for statins, 42 to 90% for angiotensin- converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers, and 14 to 70% for diuretics. Although data were not collected on baseline lifestyle instruction rates, instruction in the program's four lifestyle interventions was achieved by discharge in 100% of the intervention cohort. Conclusion: Implementation of this single-center, systems-based, inhospital program to initiate secondary stroke prevention therapies was associated with a substantial increase in treatment utilization at the time of hospital discharge.