Prehospital Notification of Potential Stroke Patients and Improved Stroke Patient Care in the Rural Acute Care Setting

The facility partnered with local emergency medical services (EMS) providers to improve early recognition of signs and symptoms of a stroke and reduce delays in diagnosis. EMS workers were provided training and a tool to assess a stroke patient in the emergent prehospital setting. Using this tool, they were instructed on how to call the receiving facility to give prehospital notification of a stroke patient. This enabled the facility to activate a stroke alert system within the hospital to mobilize its stroke resources, thereby improving assessment times and treatment options for this patient population.

This case study is part of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association's annual Quality Excellence Achievement Awards. Each year, IHA recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Illinois hospitals and health systems in continually improving and transforming health care in the state. These organizations are improving health by striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience of care (including quality and satisfaction), improving the health of populations, and reducing the per capita cost of health care—and the Institute of Medicine's six aims for improvement—safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, and equitable. To learn more, visit https://www.ihaqualityawards.org/javascript-ui/IHAQualityAward/