Door-to-needle Research Articles

Door-to-needle time and clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator during and after office hours

Background: It is well known that clinical benefit of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-TPA) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) correlates with door-to-needle (DTN) time. There is a predilection to think that after-hours care is worse and contributes to a delay in DTN times.

The development of visual task management ICT system for acute stroke care

Background: The benefits of intravenous tissue-plasminogen activator (IV t-PA) and endovascular treatment in acute ischemic stroke are highly time-dependent, so lead-time reduction for treatment is critical. However, there are so many various tasks related to the separate area in the hospital that many stroke center can't achieve the guideline recommended 1-hour door-to-needle (DTN) time.

Pharmacist Participation in Acute Ischemic Stroke Decreases Door-to-Needle Time to Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator.

Pharmacists are an important member of the stroke team and aid in obtaining medication and medical history, providing education, managing blood pressure, reviewing exclusion criteria for recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA), and facilitating reconstitution and administration of rtPA. To determine if pharmacist presence at bedside during acute ischemic stroke resulted in a reduction in door-to-needle (DTN) times. This was a retrospective cohort study between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2015 of patients who received rtPA for acute ischemic stroke in either the emergency department or hospital. Of the 125 included patients, 45 patients (36%) had a pharmacist present (PharmD group) and 80 patients (64%) did not (no PharmD group). Median DTN time was significantly shorter in the PharmD group: 48 minutes versus 73 minutes in the no PharmD group ( P < 0.01). The goal of DTN ≤60 minutes was met in 71% of patients in the PharmD group compared to 29% ( P < 0.01). Pharmacist at the bedside was the only factor found to be independently associated with reduction DTN time (βcoefficient -23.5 minutes, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] -38.6 to -8.50 minutes). A pharmacist at the bedside of emergency department or in-patient stroke codes reduced DTN time by a median of 23.5 minutes after adjusting for confounding factors and increased the percentage of patients meeting DTN goal time of ≤60 minutes by 49%. These findings support the inclusion of a stroke-competent pharmacist in the bedside response team for acute ischemic stroke patients.

Door to Needle Time over Telestroke-A Comprehensive Stroke Center Experience.

The implementation of telestroke programs has allowed patients living in rural areas suffering from acute ischemic stroke to receive expert acute stroke consultation and intravenous Alteplase (tPA). The purpose of this study is to compare door to needle (DTN) time when tPA is administered at telestroke sites (spokes) through telestroke consultations compared to tPA administration at the comprehensive stroke center (hub). Data on all patients who received intravenous tPA at the hub and spoke hospitals through a large telestroke program between May 2008 and December 2016 were collected. Baseline characteristics were compared between the two groups, and the percentage of patients meeting DTN guidelines was compared between the hub and spoke hospitals during the study period. Comparison of DTN before and after the implementation of a quality improvement project was performed. A total of 1,665 patients received tPA at either the spoke (n = 1,323) or the hub (n = 342) during the study period. Baseline characteristics were comparable in both treatment groups. Before the intervention, DTN time <60 min was achieved in 88% of the hub patients versus 38% of the spoke patients. This difference between the two groups decreased by 35 percentage points, controlling for year (p = 0.0018) after the interventions. Overall, DTN is longer at the spoke hospitals compared to the hub hospital. This can be improved by various interventions that target quality, training, education, and improving the comfort level of the staff at partner hospitals when treating acute stroke patients.

Door-to-Needle Delays in Minor Stroke: A Causal Inference Approach.

Thrombolysis rates among minor stroke (MS) patients are increasing because of increased recognition of disability in this group and guideline changes regarding treatment indications. We examined the association of delays in door-to-needle (DTN) time with stroke severity. We performed a retrospective analysis of all stroke patients who received intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator in our emergency department between July 1, 2011, and February 29, 2016. Baseline characteristics and DTN were compared between MS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤5) and nonminor strokes (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >5). We applied causal inference methodology to estimate the magnitude and mechanisms of the causal effect of stroke severity on DTN. Of 315 patients, 133 patients (42.2%) had National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤5. Median DTN was longer in MS than nonminor strokes (58 versus 53 minutes; P=0.01); fewer MS patients had DTN ≤45 minutes (19.5% versus 32.4%; P=0.01). MS patients were less likely to use emergency medical services (EMS; 62.6% versus 89.6%, P<0.01) and to receive EMS prenotification (43.9% versus 72.4%; P<0.01). Causal analyses estimated MS increased average DTN by 6 minutes, partly through mode of arrival. EMS prenotification decreased average DTN by 10 minutes in MS patients. MS had longer DTN times, an effect partly explained by patterns of EMS prenotification. Interventions to improve EMS recognition of MS may accelerate care.

The golden hour of acute ischemic stroke

BackgroundAcute Ischemic Stroke (AIS) treatment has been revolutionised in the last two decades with the increasing use of Intravenous Thrombolysis (IVT) and with the advent of Endovascular therapy (EVT). AIS treatment and outcome are time dependant and time saving measures are being implemented at every step of the treatment chain. These changes have resulted in lower treatment times in-hospital, but it is unclear if this translates into more patients being treated within 60 min of symptom onset – the Golden Hour. The clinical outcome of IVT therapy in this patient group was our secondary outcome.MethodsFrom 2009 onwards, systematic changes were made to the AIS treatment chain leading to a dramatic decrease in Door-to-Needle (DTN) time. Analyses were performed on the number of these treatments year on year and their clinical outcomes within the Golden Hour at Stavanger University Hospital (SUS).ResultsSix-hundred and thirteen patients were included; seventy-three were treated within the Golden Hour. The percentage of total IVT treatments occurring in the Golden Hour rose from 2.2% in 2009 to 14.5% in 2015 (p = 0.006) with a high of 18.3% in 2012 (p < 0.001). All of these patients had a Median NIHSS of 0 at discharge, irrespective of age and pre-existing comorbidity. There was no incidence of any ICH and in-hospital mortality was only 2.7% in this group.DiscussionThe time from AIS symptom onset to treatment is filled with delays. Despite the inherence of some delays,significant efforts on the part of the pre- and in- hospital treatment chain have made IVT therapy within 60 min a possibility. The allocation and use of resources in the setting of rapid AIS treatment is warrantedand yields unprecedented results.ConclusionsOur study shows that improved treatment routines led to an increase in the number of patients treated within the Golden Hour. Treatment in the Golden Hour leads to excellent outcomes in all patients, irrespective of age and pre-existing comorbidity.

Efficacy of New Measures Saving Time in Acute Stroke Management: A Quantified Analysis

Time to treatment remains the most important factor in acute ischemic stroke prognosis. We quantified the effect of new interventions reducing in-hospital delays in acute stroke management and assessed its repercussion on door-to-imaging (DTI), imaging-to-needle (ITN), and door-to-needle (DTN) times. Prospective registry of consecutive stroke patients who were candidates for reperfusion therapy attended in a tertiary care hospital from February 1 to December 31, 2014. A series of measures aimed at reducing in-hospital delays were implemented. We compared DTI, ITN, and DTN times between patients who underwent the interventions and those who did not. 231 patients. DTI time was lower when personal history was reviewed and tests were ordered before patient arrival (2.5 minutes saved, P = .016) and when electrocardiogram was not made (5.4 minutes saved, P < .001). Not performing a computed tomography angiography and not waiting for coagulation results from laboratory before intravenous thrombolysis (25.5%) reduced ITN time significantly (14 and 12 minutes saved, respectively, P < .001). These interventions remained as independent predictors of a shorter ITN and DTN time. Completing all steps resulted in the lowest DTI and ITN times (13 and 19 minutes, respectively). Every measure is an important part of a chain focused on saving time in acute stroke: the lowest DTI and ITN times were obtained when all steps were completed. Measures shortening ITN time produced a greater impact on DTN time reduction; therefore, ITN interventions should be considered a critical part of new protocols and guidelines.

A resident boot camp for reducing door-to-needle times at academic medical centers.

We sought to determine if a structured educational program for neurology residents can lower door-to-needle (DTN) times at an academic institution. A neurology resident educational stroke boot camp was developed and implemented in April 2013. Using a prospective database of 170 consecutive acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients treated with IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in our emergency department (ED), we evaluated the effect of the intervention on DTN times. We compared DTN times and other process measures preintervention and postintervention. p Values < 0.05 were considered significant. The proportion of AIS patients treated with tPA within 60 minutes of arrival to our ED tripled from 18.1% preintervention to 61.2% postintervention (p < 0.001) with concomitant reduction in DTN time (median 79 minutes vs 58 minutes, p < 0.001). The resident-delegated task (stroke code to tPA) was reduced (75 minutes vs 44 minutes, p < 0.001), while there was no difference in ED-delegated tasks (door to stroke code [7 minutes vs 6 minutes, p = 0.631], door to CT [18 minutes in both groups, p = 0.547]). There was an increase in stroke mimics treated (6.9% vs 18.4%, p = 0.031), which did not lead to an increase in adverse outcomes. DTN times were reduced after the implementation of a stroke boot camp and were driven primarily by efficient resident stroke code management. Educational programs should be developed for health care providers involved in acute stroke patient care to improve rapid access to IV tPA at academic institutions.

New standardized nursing cooperation workflow to reduce stroke thrombolysis delays in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

ObjectiveWe assessed the effectiveness of a new standardized nursing cooperation workflow in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) to reduce stroke thrombolysis delays.Patients and methodsAIS patients receiving conventional thrombolysis treatment from March to September 2015 were included in the control group, referred to as T0. The intervention group, referred to as T1 group, consisted of AIS patients receiving a new standardized nursing cooperation workflow for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) at the emergency department of Shanghai East Hospital (Shanghai, People’s Republic of China) from October 2015 to March 2016. Information was collected on the following therapeutic techniques used: application or not of thrombolysis, computed tomography (CT) time, and door-to-needle (DTN) time. A nursing coordinator who helped patients fulfill the medical examinations and diagnosis was appointed to T1 group. In addition, a nurse was sent immediately from the stroke unit to the emergency department to aid the thrombolysis treatment.ResultsThe average value of the door-to-CT initiation time was 38.67±5.21 min in the T0 group, whereas it was 14.39±4.35 min in the T1 group; the average values of CT completion-to-needle time were 55.06±4.82 and 30.26±3.66 min; the average values of DTN time were 100.43±6.05 and 55.68±3.62 min, respectively; thrombolysis time was improved from 12.8% (88/689) in the T0 group to 32.5% (231/712) in the T1 group (all P<0.01). In addition, the new standardized nursing cooperation workflow decreased the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores at 24 h (P<0.01) (T0: prethrombolysis, 6.97±3.98; 24 h postthrombolysis, 3.33±2.09; 2 weeks postthrombolysis, 2.25±1.01 and T1: prethrombolysis, 7.00±3.89; 24 h postthrombolysis, 2.60±1.66; 2 weeks postthrombolysis, 2.21±1.02).ConclusionThe new standardized nursing cooperation workflow reduced stroke thrombolysis delays in patients with AIS.

Collaborative Interventions Reduce Time-to-Thrombolysis for Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Public Safety Net Hospital

Shorter time-to-thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is associated with improved functional outcome and reduced morbidity. We evaluate the effect of several interventions to reduce time-to-thrombolysis at an urban, public safety net hospital. All patients treated with tissue plasminogen activator for AIS at our institution between 2008 and 2015 were included in a retrospective analysis of door-to-needle (DTN) time and associated factors. Between 2011 and 2014, we implemented 11 distinct interventions to reduce DTN time. Here, we assess the relative impact of each intervention on DTN time. The median DTN time pre- and postintervention decreased from 87 (interquartile range: 68-109) minutes to 49 (interquartile range: 39-63) minutes. The reduction was comprised primarily of a decrease in median time from computed tomography scan order to interpretation. The goal DTN time of 60 minutes or less was achieved in 9% (95% confidence interval: 5%-22%) of cases preintervention, compared with 70% (58%-81%) postintervention. Interventions with the greatest impact on DTN time included the implementation of a stroke group paging system, dedicated emergency department stroke pharmacists, and the development of a stroke code supply box. Multidisciplinary, collaborative interventions are associated with a significant and substantial reduction in time-to-thrombolysis. Such targeted interventions are efficient and achievable in resource-limited settings, where they are most needed.

Abstract 176: Door to Needle Targets in the Real World: A Dynamic Statistical Tool for Institutional Stroke Code Metrics

Background: The benefit of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke is time-dependent. AHA/ASA guidelines recommend a goal door-to-needle (DTN) time of 60 minutes or less. In practice, medically complicated patients can pose challenges leading to prolonged treatment times that skew institutional mean DTN values. We aimed to produce a simple statistical tool to calculate individualized DTN targets while accounting for outliers to help institutions achieve a mean DTN &lt; 60 minutes. Methods: An IRB approved, single-center, retrospective analysis of consecutive acute stroke code case data from Duke University Hospital (Durham, NC) between January 2014 and July 2016 was conducted. We devised a formula (Figure 1) to calculate the goal DTN time (t g ) necessary to achieve an overall mean DTN of &lt; 60 minutes while adjusting for the frequency and magnitude of outliers. This formula was created as a modifiable tool using an individual institution’s outlier definition, current outlier frequency (f m ), and outlier DTN average (t m ) over a pre-defined time period. As proof of concept, the formula was tested using an outlier definition of ≥100 minutes. The formula was modeled using both real-world institutional data and a simulated sample of 200 patients. Results: In 1069 consecutive stroke codes, tPA was administered in 135 cases with mean DTN 68.2 minutes (range 15-205). Of these, 18 cases (13.3%) met our definition of outlier, with t m of 134 minutes. Using the developed formula with institutional data resulted in a target DTN of 48.6 minutes for non-outlier cases to achieve overall mean DTN &lt; 60 minutes. Using the simulated dataset, our tool similarly calculated a goal DTN of 49 minutes. Conclusions: This simple statistical tool is a novel solution for generating an institution-specific goal DTN based on unique organizational data, experiences, and nuances in order to meet the recommended mean DTN. Additionally, these individualized goals may further motivate stroke teams to carry out more efficient clinical care rather than consistently aiming for DTN values &lt; 60 minutes. The tool presented here is easily adaptable to future changes in recommended target goals and can be seamlessly incorporated into institution-wide systems planning.

Abstract 218: Expanding a Learning Collaborative Model in Chicago to Improve Door to Needle for Stroke Thrombolysis: Raising the Bar

Background: There remains significant opportunities to reduce door-to-needle (DTN) times for stroke despite regional and national efforts. In Chicago, Quality Enhancement for the Speedy Thrombolysis for Stroke (QUESTS) was a one year learning collaborative (LC) which aimed to reduce DTN times at 15 Chicago Primary Stroke Centers. Identification of barriers and sharing of best practices resulted in achieving DTN &lt; 60 minutes within the first quarter of the 2013 initiative and has sustained progress to date. Aligned with Target: Stroke goals, QUESTS 2.0, funded for the 2016 calendar year, invited 9 additional metropolitan Chicago area hospitals to collaborate and further reduce DTN times to a goal &lt; 45 minutes in 50% of eligible patients. Methods: All 24 hospitals participate in the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) Stroke registry and benchmark group to track DTN performance improvement in 2016. Hospitals implement American Heart Association’s Target Stroke program and share best practices uniquely implemented at sites to reduce DTN times. The LC included a quality and performance improvement leader, a stroke content expert, site visits and quarterly meetings and learning sessions, and reporting of experiences and data. Results: In 2015, the year prior to QUESTS 2.0, the proportion of patients treated with tPA within 45 minutes of hospital arrival increased from 21.6% in Q1 to 31.4% in Q2. During the 2016 funded year, this proportion changed from 31.6% in Q1 to 48.3% in Q2. Conclusions: Using a learning collaborative model to implement strategies to reduce DTN times among 24 Chicago area hospitals continues to impact times. Regional collaboration, data sharing, and best practice sharing should be a model for rapid and sustainable system-wide quality improvement.

Timely Reperfusion in Stroke and Myocardial Infarction Is Not Correlated: An Opportunity for Better Coordination of Acute Care.

Timely reperfusion is critical in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The degree to which hospital performance is correlated on emergent STEMI and AIS care is unknown. Primary objective of this study was to determine whether there was a positive correlation between hospital performance on door-to-balloon (D2B) time for STEMI and door-to-needle (DTN) time for AIS, with and without controlling for patient and hospital differences. Prospective study of all hospitals in both Get With The Guidelines-Stroke and Get With The Guidelines-Coronary Artery Disease from 2006 to 2009 and treating ≥10 patients. We compared hospital-level DTN time and D2B time using Spearman rank correlation coefficients and hierarchical linear regression modeling. There were 43 hospitals with 1976 AIS and 59 823 STEMI patients. Hospitals' DTN times for AIS did not correlate with D2B times for STEMI (ρ=-0.09; P=0.55). There was no correlation between hospitals' proportion of eligible patients treated within target time windows for AIS and STEMI (median DTN time <60 minutes: 21% [interquartile range, 11-30]; median D2B time <90 minutes: 68% [interquartile range, 62-79]; ρ=-0.14; P=0.36). The lack of correlation between hospitals' DTN and D2B times persisted after risk adjustment. We also correlated hospitals' DTN time and D2B time data from 2013 to 2014 using Get With The Guidelines (DTN time) and Hospital Compare (D2B time). From 2013 to 2014, hospitals' DTN time performance in Get With The Guidelines was not correlated with D2B time performance in Hospital Compare (n=546 hospitals). We found no correlation between hospitals' observed or risk-adjusted DTN and D2B times. Opportunities exist to improve hospitals' performance of time-critical care processes for AIS and STEMI in a coordinated approach.

Impact of an intrahospital mobile thrombolysis team on 3-month clinical outcomes in patients benefiting from intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke

Introduction/objectiveThe benefits of thrombolysis in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke (IS) are highly time-dependent. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical benefit, after 3 months, of an intrahospital mobile thrombolysis team (MTT) for thrombolysis in IS. Patients and methodsA total of 95 consecutive patients treated with IV tPA for acute IS at the neurology department of Rouen University Hospital between 1 January and 31 December 2015 were retrospectively identified. Patients who had benefited from mechanical thrombectomy or hemicraniectomy were excluded. The study compared 33 patients who had benefited from our MTT (thrombolysis whatever the location and as soon as possible by a specific nurse) with 62 patients treated in the usual way (thrombolysis only at the stroke unit). Management timescales, inhospital and 3-month clinical outcomes, and imaging data were also compared between the two groups. ResultsDemographic data and factors known to influence the clinical course after thrombolysis were similar between the two groups (P>0.05). However, use of the MTT allowed significant decreases in the median onset-to-treatment (OTT) time of 26min and median door-to-needle (DTN) time of 27min (P<0.001). The proportion of patients with a DTN time<60min was higher in the MTT group than in the usual care (UC) group: 64% vs. 14%, respectively (P<0.001), according to American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Although there was a smaller proportion of negative 3-month outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score: 6; 6% vs. 16%) and a larger proportion of highly favorable 3-month outcomes (mRS score: 0–1; 79% vs. 64%) in the MTT vs. UC groups, respectively, these differences were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Discussion/conclusionUse of an MTT is a simple way to reduce thrombolysis delays, and the present results encourage us to improve the system to make it even more effective and available for all patients.

Stop Stroke: A Brief Report on Door-to-Needle Times and Performance After Implementing an Acute Care Coordination Medical Application and Implications to Emergency Medical Services.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Stop Stroke (Pulsara; Bozeman, Montana USA) medical application on door-to-needle (DTN) time in patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with an acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This was a retrospective cohort study of the Good Shepherd Health System (Longview, Texas USA) stroke quality improvement dashboard for a 25-month period from February 2012 through February 2014. Data analysis includes all data from Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS; Baltimore, Maryland USA) reportable cases receiving Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA) for AIS during the study period. The primary outcome was mean DTN times before and after initiating Stop Stroke. Secondary outcome was the effect on the DTN≤60-minute benchmark. During the study period, there were 533 stroke activations (200 before Stop Stroke implementation and 333 after). A total of 68 patients meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed (34 pre-app and 34 post- app). The observed mean DTN times post-app decreased 21 minutes (77 to 56 minutes), a 28% improvement (P=.001). Further, the patients meeting DTN≤60 minutes improved from 32% (11 of 34) to 82% (28 of 34) after the app's implementation. In this cohort of patients with AIS, Stop Stroke improved mean DTN times and number of patients treated within 60 minutes of arrival. These results demonstrate the app's effect of increasing awareness of suspected AIS and improving coordination of care, evidenced by the magnitude of its effect on treatment times. Dickson R , Nedelcut A , McPeek Nedelcut M . Stop Stroke: a brief report on door-to-needle times and performance after implementing an acute care coordination medical application and implications to Emergency Medical Services. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(3):343-347.

Abstract 86: Progress in Achieving More Rapid Door-to-Needle Times in Acute Ischemic Stroke: Interim Findings From Target: Stroke Phase II

Background: The benefits of intravenous tPA in acute ischemic stroke are time-dependent and hospitals participating in Target: Stroke have substantially improved the proportion of patients being treated with door-to-needle (DTN) times of ≤60 minutes. However, very few patients were treated with DTN times of ≤45 or ≤30 minutes during Target: Stroke Phase I (2010-2013). This study aims to assess whether there have been greater achievement of DTN times ≤45 and ≤30 minutes since the launch of Target: Stroke Phase II in Q2 2014. Methods: Target: Stroke Phase II identified and disseminated additional best practice strategies, provided updated clinical decision support tools, and set new hospital recognition goals. Rates of DTN times ≤45 and ≤30 minutes were compared prior to Target: Stroke (2003-2009), during Phase I (2010-2013), and during Phase II (Q2 2014-present) by weighted linear regression. Results: There were 131,166 intravenous tPA treated patients from 1397 GWTG-Stroke hospitals. Patient characteristics were similar during the study periods. Median DTN time declined from Phase I to Phase II: 66 minutes (IQR 51-87) to 54 minutes (IQR 41-71) and % of patients with DTN times ≤60 minutes increased from 42.0% to 62.7%, (P&lt;0.0001). The % of patients with DTN times ≤45 minutes increased from Phase I to Phase II: 17.3% to 33.9%, absolute difference +16.6%, (P&lt;0.0001). The % of patients with DTN times ≤30 minutes also increased from Phase I to Phase II: 4.1% to 10.3%, absolute difference +6.2%, (P&lt;0.0001). The estimated annual rate of increase in patients with DTN times ≤45 minutes was 0.25% per year pre-Target Stroke, 3.5% per year during Phase I, and 7.7% per year during Phase II (P&lt;0.0001) (Figure). Conclusions: There has been accelerating progress in achieving more rapid DTN times for tPA administration among GWTG-Stroke hospitals participating in Target: Stroke Phase II. Nevertheless, opportunities remain to further improve the timeliness of care and clinical outcomes.

Abstract WP384: The Impact of a Clinical Pharmacist on Door to Needle Time

Background and Issues: Decreasing thrombolytic door-to-needle (DTN) time has been shown to improve neurological outcomes of ischemic stroke patients as well as decrease incidence of bleeding. At Aultman, a dedicated pharmacist responds to all stroke alerts between 0700 and 1700 Monday through Friday. In September of 2014, a clinical pharmacist was added to the stroke team to attend stroke alerts and focus solely on facilitating the TPA ordering, dispensing, and delivery, with the goal of decreasing DTN times. The mixing of the tPA was done in the central pharmacy during all alerts. At the same time of hiring a clinical pharmacist, Aultman changed the stroke alert procedure to immediately send patients straight to CT after an alert was called. Purpose: To compare DTN times with and without the presence of a pharmacist on emergency department stroke alerts. Methods: For all stroke cases where tPA was administered from January 1 2014 to July 31 2016, the DTN was grouped based on pharmacist presence - before a pharmacist was present on any stroke alerts (January 1 2014 to September 30 2014), when a pharmacist was present, and when a pharmacist was not present after September 30 2014. A Shapiro-Wilk analysis was run to assess normality, and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the means. Results: From January 2014 to the placement of a pharmacist on the stroke team, the mean DTN time was 80.68 minutes (95% CI: 62.23-99.14 min, n=19). After hiring a pharmacist (September 2014 to July 2016), the mean DTN time was significantly different (p=0.001) when a pharmacist responded to stroke alerts (48.26 minutes, 95% CI: 38.11-58.40 min, n=27) compared to when a pharmacist was not present (68.63 minutes, 95% CI: 59.57-80.69 min, n=31). Conclusion: Having a pharmacist who can focus solely on the tPA portion of a stroke alert can significantly decrease DTN times. The pharmacist knows the computer ordering system more fluently than the provider increasing ordering speed and can allow other members of the stroke team to focus on their responsibilities during the alert. The decrease in DTN time from early 2014 to post-September 2014 when a pharmacist was not present could be attributed to implementation of new policies routing stroke alerts directly to CT.

Abstract TMP65: Depth of Hospital Participation in Telestroke is Associated with Faster Door-to-Needle Time for Stroke Patients

Background: Telestroke increases tPA use at spoke hospitals, yet its effect on door-to-needle (DTN) times is unknown. More frequent use of telestroke may introduce delays in DTN time or may improve it as practice leads to streamlined processes. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that spoke hospitals with more frequent contact to a hub hospital will have shorter DTN times than those with less frequent contact. Methods: We identified 367 patients treated with tPA by conventional or telestroke methods in the MGH Telestroke network for whom date and time data were available. Strength of the spoke-MGH connection was the primary predictor variable, defined as the number of all telestroke consults (tPA and non-tPA) done at each spoke hospital during the year of the patient’s presentation. Patient-level regression analyses examined the relationship between DTN time and spoke-MGH connection. We controlled for hospitals’ tPA volume, temporal trends, and clustering within hospitals. Results: Sixteen spoke hospitals contributed data on 367 tPA-treated patients from 2006-2016. Hospitals treated a median of 12.5 patients with tPA (IQR 7-33.5). Median hospital-level DTN was 78.8 minutes (IQR 71.3-85). Median number of telestroke consults per year was 37 (IQR 15-60). Among all 367 patients, median DTN was 76 minutes (IQR 61-98), and 24.8% of patients were treated within 60 minutes (n=91). Strength of connection between the spoke and hub hospital was significantly associated with faster DTN time for patients (1.8 minute gain per 10 additional consults, p&lt;0.001) and increased likelihood of tPA delivery within 60 minutes (OR 1.01, p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: More frequent contact between a telestroke spoke and its hub was associated with faster tPA delivery for patients, even after accounting for hospitals’ tPA volume and secular trends in DTN improvements. This highlights added benefits of increased utilization of telestroke.

Abstract WMP85: Target Stroke Implementation: Best Practice Strategies Cut Thrombolysis Time to &lt;30 minutes in a 1,550 Bed Academic Urban County Hospital

Introduction: Thrombolytic window for acute ischemic stroke is brief and crucial. The AHA/ASA Target: Stroke Best Practice Strategies (TSBPS) aim to help hospitals improve thrombolysis door-to-needle (DTN) time. We assessed long-term efficacy of TSBPS to reduce DTN in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: We initiated a quality improvement program across one regional academic medical center (1,550 beds, 900 annual stroke admissions) that serves a multi-ethnic population by establishing a multidisciplinary DTN committee to assess causes of delayed DTN and implement focused TSBPS. Strategies included stroke team pre-admission notification, direct transfer to CT scanner, storing and administering IV rt-PA at CT scanner, and immediate stakeholder feedback. Door-to-CT, DTN, CT to IV rt-PA and door-to-groin (DTG) times were analyzed prospectively in consecutive IV rt-PA treated patients over 27 months pre-implementation and 13 months post-implementation. Results: A total of 148 patients were included in the pre-implementation and 126 patients in the post-implementation group. The two groups had similar demographics, comorbidities, anticoagulation status, pre-thrombolysis hypertension treatment, stroke severity (median NIHSS 11 (6-18) vs. 11 (5-17), p= 0.483), arrival by EMS (96% vs. 97%, p=0.708), and arrival after hours. Post implementation, reductions in treatment times were observed for median DTN (IQR) 59 (52-80) to 28.5 (20-41) min (p&lt;0.001), door-to-CT time 17 (14-21) to 16 (12-19) min (p=0.016), CT-to-IV rt-PA time 43 (31-59) to 13 (6-23) min (p&lt;0.001), and DTG time 164 (136-188) min (n=37) to 86 (63-103) min (n=51) (p&lt;0.001). Overall monthly IV r-tPA administration increased post-implementation (5.5 vs. 9.8, p&lt;0.001). Rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (2.7% vs. 3.2%, p=0.817) and treatment of stroke mimics (9% vs. 13%, p=0.311) were similar pre- and post-implementation. Conclusions: In this study, delay in IV rt-PA administration was predominantly related to prolonged CT to IVrt-PA time. DTN committee implementation is a simple, low-cost intervention, that significantly reduced DTN and DTG with persistent effect and no increase in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage or stroke mimic treatment rate.

Abstract TMP68: Expanding a Learning Collaborative Model in Chicago to Improve Door to Needle for Stroke Thrombolysis: Raising the Bar

Background: There remains significant opportunities to reduce door-to-needle (DTN) times for stroke despite regional and national efforts. In Chicago, Quality Enhancement for the Speedy Thrombolysis for Stroke (QUESTS) was a one year learning collaborative (LC) which aimed to reduce DTN times at 15 Chicago Primary Stroke Centers. Identification of barriers and sharing of best practices resulted in achieving DTN &amp;lt; 60 minutes within the first quarter of the 2013 initiative and has sustained progress to date. Aligned with Target: Stroke goals, QUESTS 2.0, funded for the 2016 calendar year, invited 9 additional metropolitan Chicago area hospitals to collaborate and further reduce DTN times to a goal &amp;lt; 45 minutes in 50% of eligible patients. Methods: All 24 hospitals participate in the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) Stroke registry and benchmark group to track DTN performance improvement in 2016. Hospitals implement American Heart Association’s Target Stroke program and share best practices uniquely implemented at sites to reduce DTN times. The LC included a quality and performance improvement leader, a stroke content expert, site visits and quarterly meetings and learning sessions, and reporting of experiences and data. Results: In 2015, the year prior to QUESTS 2.0, the proportion of patients treated with tPA within 45 minutes of hospital arrival increased from 21.6% in Q1 to 31.4% in Q2. During the 2016 funded year, this proportion changed from 31.6% in Q1 to 48.3% in Q2. Conclusions: Using a learning collaborative model to implement strategies to reduce DTN times among 24 Chicago area hospitals continues to impact times. Regional collaboration, data sharing, and best practice sharing should be a model for rapid and sustainable system-wide quality improvement.