Socioeconomic disparities in prehospital stroke care

• Background and purposeRecent studies have revealed socioeconomic disparities in stroke outcomes. Here, we investigated whether prehospital stroke care differs with respect to socioeconomic status (SES).MethodsConsecutive stroke and TIA patients (n=3006) admitted to stroke units at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, from 1 November 2014 to 31 July 2016, were included. Data on prehospital care were obtained from a local stroke register. Socioeconomic status was classified according to the average level of income and education within each patient's neighbourhood (postcode area).ResultsThe median system delay from calling the emergency medical communication centre (EMCC) to start of brain computed tomography on hospital arrival was 3h 47min (95% confidence interval (CI) 3h 30min to 4h 05min) for patients within the lowest SES tertile and 3h 17min (95% CI 3h 00min to 3h 37min) for the highest tertile (p<0.05). Patients with a lower SES were less likely to receive the highest priority in the ambulance (p<0.05) and had lower rates of prehospital recognition of stroke/TIA (p<0.05) than those with a high SES. No inequities were found concerning EMCC prioritisation or the probability of ambulance transport.ConclusionsWe found socioeconomic inequities in prehospital stroke care which could affect the efficacy of acute stroke treatment. The ambulance nurses' ability to recognise stroke/TIA may partly explain the observed inequities.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Neurovetenskaper (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Neurosciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Stroke

Transient ischaemic attack

Income

Education

Prehospital delay

acute ischemic-stroke

emergency medical-services

delays

symptoms

health

population

knowledge

survival

income

level

Emergency Medicine

Education

Människan i vården

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)