Introduction The number of stroke-related deaths is predicted to increase by 50% by 2050 if no measures are taken, and prompt stroke treatment is essential to improve patient outcomes. Currently, there is variation in how acute stroke care is organized, and the time to treatment varies. Accordingly, an improvement project was conducted at a university hospital in Sweden to make the acute stroke workflow more efficient. This led to a shorter time to treatment and better patient outcomes. However, it is unclear which factors influenced the reorganization, and the experiences of the healthcare staff are not known.

Aim of Study The aim is to describe the healthcare personnel’s experiences regarding reorganization of the acute stroke workflow.

Methods The study had an inductive approach and was based on semi-structured interviews. The informants were healthcare personnel with experience from the reorganization of the acute stroke workflow.

Results The analysis yielded two categories that describe considerable factors during the reorganization. The first category, personnel as the main resource, included four sub-categories: Driven spirits who enthuse; interdisciplinary collaboration during planning, implementation and development; clinical interdisciplinary team collaboration; and doing the best for the patient as the primary motivation. The second category, structured approach, included: standardized working methods; training and education; measurement, follow-up, and feedback on the results.

Conclusion The health personnel descriptions indicate that the key to successful reorganizations of acute stroke workflows are multifactorial, where human resources have a decisive role. Transformational leadership and principles that foster well-functioning interdisciplinary collaboration may also benefit the acute stroke organization.

Disclosure of Interest no.