Acute stroke units in Austria are being set up on a national level following evidence-based recommendations and structural quality criteria.

A system of acute stroke units is being set up in Austria, which will care for 70% of all acute strokes by 2005. This nationwide project has been planned according to evidence-based principles and contains pre-specified structural components for acute stroke care. With some exceptions in remote mountain regions, all stroke units can be reached within 90 min from any community. All units are within neurological departments. An ongoing documentation of quality performance shows that these units are being well accepted by the general population and the medical community alike. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel