Category: EMS
Keywords: Stroke, EMS, medical record linkage, prehospital (PubMed Search)
Posted: 11/3/2023 by Ben Lawner, MS, DO
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BACKGROUND: Prehospital (EMS) clinicians are positioned on the front lines of health care. With respect to stroke identification and treatment, early recognition is essential to positive outcomes. Considerable variability exists within EMS documentation. Despite considerable variability in documentation, the establishment and tracking of core stroke metrics serves as a benchmark to gauge performance and outline strategies for improvement.
METHODS: Authors conducted a retrospective, observational analysis of EMS encounters (2018-2019) which ultimately received a diagnosis of an "acute cerebrovascular event." Hospital based diagnoses included: hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, or transient ischemic attack. The data set was comprised of a statewide EMS documentation and a state wide acute stroke registry. Authors examined compliance with six core performance metrics which included measurement of blood glucose, documentation of last known well time, and on-scene time < 15 mins for patients with suspected stroke. During the 18 month study, almost 6000 encounters met criteria for inclusion.
RESULTS: EMS documentation remains a significant source of variability. EMS crews were largely compliant with blood glucose measurement. However, last known well time had the lowest (24%) documentation rate. Patients diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage had the lowest rate of compliance with metrics.
BOTTOM LINE: Accurate prehospital stroke diagnosis remains a challenge. Consistent data collection and benchmarking remains an important first step in the evaluation of performance. Higher NIHSS scores and ischemic strokes are linked to higher rates of metric compliance.
Oostema JA, Nickles A, Luo Z, Reeves MJ. Emergency Medical Services Stroke Care Performance Variability in Michigan: Analysis of a Statewide Linked Stroke Registry. J Am Heart Assoc. 2023 Jan 3;12(1):e026834. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.026834. Epub 2022 Dec 20. PMID: 36537345; PMCID: PMC9973590.
