Rural Stroke Patients Have Higher Mortality: An Improvement Opportunity for Rural Emergency Medical Services Systems.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Early recognition and prompt prehospital care is a cornerstone of acute stroke treatment. Residents of rural areas have worse access to stroke services than urban residents. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe US trends in rural-urban stroke mortality and (2) identify possible factors associated with rural-urban stroke case-fatality disparities.

Methods

This study was a nationwide retrospective cohort study of stroke admissions. The primary exposure was rurality of patient's residence. The primary outcome was death during hospital encounter. The secondary outcome was discharge to a care facility or home healthcare. Univariable and multivariable logistic regressions estimated the odds of mortality by subject rurality among stroke subjects.

Findings

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SUBMITTER: Georgakakos PK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7862426 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature