Communication problems are one of the most common after-effects of stroke, affecting about one in three people. Losing the ability to speak or understand language – aphasia – is frightening and frustrating. This article offers insights and practical tips to aid communication.
Supporting people with communication problems after stroke
Back to Basics 9 – Secondary prevention for the four types of coronary artery disease
Back to Basics 8 – Recognising the four types of coronary artery disease
Back to Basics 5 – How drugs work in heart failure
Back to Basics 4 – Using ABCD2 score to assess stroke risk in TIA
Back to Basics 3 – How to use the GRASP-AF tool to reduce risk in patients
Back to Basics 2 – Assessing risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation
Back to Basics 1 – What goes wrong in atrial fibrillation?
Going back to basics in cardiovascular disease: Editorial
There are 28 cardiac and stroke networks in the country. They play an important part in implementation of national strategies, enabling high-quality services to be planned and delivered to patients within the framework of primary and community care.
One of the most useful contributions of the networks is provision of education and training for primary care staff. The “Back to Basics” material in this supplement forms the backbone of what is presented at study days. The articles cover some of the most common cardiovascular conditions that are seen in primary care, showing clearly what causes the symptoms, how best to assessand manage patients, and how the treatments actually work. They help healthcare workers both to understand these conditions and to explain them to patients, and therefore really improve patient care.
Going back to basics in cardiovascular disease: Editorial 2
Cardiac and stroke networks enable change and support the implementation of national strategies, such as the National Stroke Strategy which was published in 2007. There are 28 cardiac and stroke networks in the country: they play a fundamental role in bringing together commissioners, providers and patients to plan and deliver high-quality services for their populations.
Editorial
Keep up the good work’ is the theme of this issue of BJPCN, with latest figures showing that the structured care we provide to our patients is helping to save lives. But we are not there yet – so we are looking at remaining challenges in managing cardiovascular disease and what more we can do to really make a difference to our patients’ lives.
BATMAN’s mission: reduce the impact of stroke
In this new series, BJPCN interviews key people leading major initiatives in the prevention and treatment of CVD and diabetes. Alastair Bailey, who leads the Brain Attack Team (BAT) at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust explains how the team ensures that patients with stroke receive prompt thrombolytic treatment to improve outcomes.