Towards a Safer Culture: clinical pathways in acute coronary syndromes and stroke

Towards a Safer Culture (TASC) aims to provide a safer culture in hospital departments by introducing clinical pathways for the management of patients with acute coronary syndromes or stroke. Specific clinical pathways have been implemented for patients with different levels of risk to guide the most appropriate evidence-based medical care for each patient. Pathways facilitate continuity of care across different clinical departments by identifying gaps in care, and clarifying tasks and responsibilities. A multidisciplinary and interdepartmental approach to managing patients is seen as an effective way of effecting change. A system for "point-of-care" data acquisition, a centralised database and web-based reporting enable benchmarking for participating hospitals. A comprehensive range of educational/training strategies is used to facilitate multidisciplinary teamwork and promote clinical leadership. Phase 1 of TASC was successfully piloted at four hospitals in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. TASC is currently being rolled out to 29 hospitals in NSW and three hospitals in Western Australia.