Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41712681›Full record

ArticleEuropean stroke journal2026

Status on stroke and stroke care in Europe 2023: Stroke Service Tracker 2023 data based on 1,460,360 strokes in 47 European nations.

Hanne Christensen, Francesca Romana Pezzella, Melinda Berg Roaldsen, Ales Tomek, Christian Ovesen, Arlene Wilkie, Hrvoje Budincevic, Martin Dichgans, Urs Fischer, Josefine Grundtvig and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in European stroke journal, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Hanne ChristensenDepartment of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-7472-3194
Francesca Romana PezzellaNeurosciences Department, Azienda Ospedaliera San Camillo Forlanini, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-5902-2795
Melinda Berg RoaldsenDepartment of Clinical Medicine, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.
Ales TomekDepartment of Neurology, Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-7468-499X
Christian OvesenDepartment of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.ORCID 0000-0002-4870-4475
Arlene WilkieStroke Alliance for Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
Hrvoje BudincevicStroke and Intensive Care Unit, Department of Neurology, Sveti Duh University Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia.ORCID 0000-0002-0184-8949
Martin DichgansInstitute for Stroke and Dementia Research, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-0654-387X
Urs FischerDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0003-0521-4051
Josefine GrundtvigDepartment of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Peter KellyDepartment of Neurology, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Grethe LundeStroke Alliance for Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
Chris MaceyStroke Alliance for Europe, Brussels, Belgium.
Robert MikulikDepartment of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-7458-5166
Amira RosenørnDepartment of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Gustavo SantoDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital of Coimbra, Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
Diana Aguiar de SousaStroke Center, University Hospital Center of Central Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Cristina TiuDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania.
Simona SaccoDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0651-1939
Aleksandras VilionskisClinic of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Bo NorrvingDepartment of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
SAP-E collaborators

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionInequity in stroke care in Europe has previously been reported despite the existence of evidence-based cost-effective interventions for both prevention and treatment. This report aims to provide comprehensive data on stroke care in Europe in 2023 and explore associations to European regions, organisational and economic factors. PATIENTS AND

methodsThe Stroke Service Tracker, an annually collected survey-based dataset of aggregate summary data from participating European nations, was used with key performance indicators (KPIs) from the Stroke Action Plan for Europe (SAP-E). European regions were defined based on United Nations Geoscheme regions. Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and healthcare spending per capita were collected based on World Bank data.

resultsA total of 1,460,630 stroke events were reported in 2023 from 52 nations. Significant inequity was present in all data points and data quality varied significantly. Twenty (43.5%) nations have a national stroke plan in place, and in 19 (41.3%) work is ongoing. Quality programmes have been implemented in 20 (43.5%) nations. Implementation of a national stroke plan or a quality programme was associated with achieving more SAP-E KPIs (P < .001). There were regional differences in the number of met KPIs (P < .001). Both GDP and healthcare spending per capita were strongly correlated to meeting KPIs.

conclusionThe inequity in stroke care persists in Europe. Implementation of a national stroke plan and a quality programme is associated with meeting more KPIs; however, economic factors may pose limitations. Access to high-quality data will support decision-making towards evidence-based and cost-effective care.

Indexed as

StrokeEuropeHealthcare DisparitiesHumansepidemiologyEuropestrokestroke carestroke servicesstroke treatment

Identifiers

PMID41712681
PMCPMC12919429

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.