Abstract P122: The Impact of Center Certification Status on Acute Stroke Care Within a Multi-Hospital System in Western United States
Introduction: We aimed to investigate the impact of certification status on process of care metrics and clinical outcome in a large multi-center hospital system. Methods: We analyzed data obtained from the Providence Stroke Registry between January 2016 and December 2019. Key process of care metrics and clinical outcome were compared among patients with a discharge diagnosis of stroke and stratified based on site certification: comprehensive stroke center (CSC), thrombectomy-capable stroke center (TSC), primary stroke center (PSC) and no certification (NC). Donner’s adjusted chi-square tests were used to compare proportions for each metric grouped by certification. Generalized linear mixed effects logistic regression models were used to adjust for mode of patient arrival, age, sex, admit NIHSS, and medical history. Results: Data included 45,278 patients. Results from the analyses are summarized in the table. Donner’s adjusted chi-square analyses showed significant differences for metrics across certification groups. Results from the logistic regression models indicated significant differences in IV TPA and EVT treatment, as well as IV TPA treatment times across certification groups. There were no significant differences between TSC and CSC. Conclusions: Patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke at NC and PSC were significantly less likely to receive IV TPA or EVT with significantly less efficient IV tPA treatment times as compared to CSC. However, CSC and TSC sites performed similarly.