Outcomes for Black and White Patients After Certification of Nearby Stroke Centers

Is stroke center certification near a community associated with the same benefits in access to care, receipt of treatments, and health outcomes for Black and White patients?In this cohort study including 2.1 million patients with stroke, certification of nearby stroke centers was associated with an increase in the likelihood of admission to the stroke centers for both Black and White patients, but it was associated with increased rates of receiving thrombolytic therapy only for White patients. Black patients had lower rates of both thrombolytic therapy and thrombectomy, along with higher 1-year mortality, compared with Black patients in reference communities.This study suggests that although the certification of nearby stroke centers was associated with an increase in admissions to the stroke centers for Black and White patients, it was associated with increased receipt of acute stroke treatment only among White patients, highlighting persistent inequities.

Corresponding Author: Renee Y. Hsia, MD, MSc, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, Box 1377, Bldg 5, Ste 6A, San Francisco, CA 94110 (renee.hsia@ucsf.edu).

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