Improving Stroke Transfer Times: ER Challenges and Solutions
A retrospective US registry-based study found that the median door-in-door-out time for interhospital transfer of patients with stroke was 174 minutes, exceeding the recommended time of 120 minutes. Factors associated with longer door-in-door-out times included age 80 years or older, female sex, Black race, and Hispanic ethnicity. On the other hand, emergency medical services prenotification, severe stroke, and ischemic stroke eligible for endovascular therapy were associated with shorter times. The study highlights disparities and health system factors that could be targeted for quality improvement initiatives.