Abstract NS4: The Power of Outreach: How Educating the Community Increases the Role of rtPA.

Abstract

Background: Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death for all Iowans, and the third leading cause of death for women in Iowa. The certification of stroke centers has improved treatment with rt-PA, which leads to improved patient outcomes. The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) began the process of stroke certification in 2005. One of the goals of this process was to strengthen outreach to community hospitals. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to review how improving an outreach program assisted with increasing treatment of ischemic stroke patients with rt-PA. Methods: The University of Iowa (UI) stroke program collaborated with UIHC’s physician liaison department to improve outreach by increasing the number of educational visits to community hospitals. The visits were conducted by a physician and nurse coordinator from the stroke program, and a physician liaison who traveled to community hospitals. Presentations were tailored to fit the needs and questions of each individual hospital; however there was an emphasis on updates in stroke care and the new streamlined process for contacting UIHC vascular neurologists with referrals. Results: The following table shows treatment of ischemic stroke patients treated with rt-PA. The blue line indicates patients treated at UIHC and the red line indicates those treated at a community hospital and transferred to UIHC. Conclusion: In conclusion, an increase in patients treated with rt-PA was noted after improving the stroke community hospital outreach program.