Kimon Bekelis1, Symeon Missios2, Shannon Coy3, Bruce Mayerson4, Todd A MacKenzie5. 1. Neuroscience Service Line, Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Melville, NY, United States; The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, United States; Population Health Research Institute of New York at CHS, Melville, NY, United States; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States. Electronic address: kbekelis@gmail.com. 2. Population Health Research Institute of New York at CHS, Melville, NY, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, United States. 3. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, United States. 4. Neuroscience Service Line, Catholic Health Services of Long Island, Melville, NY, United States; Population Health Research Institute of New York at CHS, Melville, NY, United States. 5. The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Lebanon, NH, United States; Population Health Research Institute of New York at CHS, Melville, NY, United States; Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH, United States; Department of Community and Family Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, United States.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The emergent disposition of acute stroke patients remains an issue of debate. We investigated whether a hub-and-spoke model was associated with worse stroke outcomes when compared to care exclusively in comprehensive centers. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of all acute ischemic stroke patients who were hospitalized in endovascular-capable facilities, and were registered in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database from 2009 to 2015. We examined the association of transfer status (transfer to endovascular capable hospitals versus initial treatment in these facilities) with inpatient case-fatality, discharge to a facility, and length of stay (LOS). An instrumental variable analysis was used to control for unmeasured confounding and simulate a randomized trial. RESULTS: During the study period, 128,122 acute stroke patients met inclusion criteria. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that patients transferred to endovascular-capable hospitals did not have higher case-fatality (Adjusted difference, 4.4%; 95% CI, -0.1% to 9.0%), rate discharge to a facility (Adjusted difference, -2.3%; 95% CI, -5.2% to 0.6%), or longer LOS (Adjusted difference, 4.2; 95% CI, -2.2 to 10.1) in comparison to patients presenting for initial treatment in these facilities. The same associations were present when restricting the cohort to patients receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen (IV-tPA) and to patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of acute ischemic stroke patients in New York State we demonstrated that patients treated in a hub-and-spoke model were not associated with worse outcomes than patients receiving care exclusively in comprehensive institutions. This needs to be taken into consideration when considering acute emergency services in this setting.
BACKGROUND: The emergent disposition of acute strokepatients remains an issue of debate. We investigated whether a hub-and-spoke model was associated with worse stroke outcomes when compared to care exclusively in comprehensive centers. METHODS: We performed a cohort study of all acute ischemic strokepatients who were hospitalized in endovascular-capable facilities, and were registered in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database from 2009 to 2015. We examined the association of transfer status (transfer to endovascular capable hospitals versus initial treatment in these facilities) with inpatient case-fatality, discharge to a facility, and length of stay (LOS). An instrumental variable analysis was used to control for unmeasured confounding and simulate a randomized trial. RESULTS: During the study period, 128,122 acute strokepatients met inclusion criteria. Instrumental variable analysis demonstrated that patients transferred to endovascular-capable hospitals did not have higher case-fatality (Adjusted difference, 4.4%; 95% CI, -0.1% to 9.0%), rate discharge to a facility (Adjusted difference, -2.3%; 95% CI, -5.2% to 0.6%), or longer LOS (Adjusted difference, 4.2; 95% CI, -2.2 to 10.1) in comparison to patients presenting for initial treatment in these facilities. The same associations were present when restricting the cohort to patients receiving intravenous tissue plasminogen (IV-tPA) and to patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Using a comprehensive all-payer cohort of acute ischemic strokepatients in New York State we demonstrated that patients treated in a hub-and-spoke model were not associated with worse outcomes than patients receiving care exclusively in comprehensive institutions. This needs to be taken into consideration when considering acute emergency services in this setting.
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