U.S. News & World Report Adds American Heart Association Stroke Care Measure to National Hospital Rankings

U.S. News & World Report has added a new measure to its national hospital rankings for strokes, which reports on the timing of thrombolytic medication administered to patients experiencing a stroke. The measure, based on the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke program, highlights the importance of timely treatment that saves lives. This new measure accounts for 2.5% of each hospital's score in stroke care, with hospitals receiving full credit for administering intravenous thrombolytic treatment within 60 minutes of arrival.

Key Takeaways:

• The American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines - Stroke program is now a factor in U.S. News & World Report's national hospital rankings for strokes, with a measure reporting on the timing of thrombolytic medication administration.
• The new measure accounts for 2.5% of each hospital's score in stroke care, with hospitals receiving full credit for administering intravenous thrombolytic treatment within 60 minutes of arrival.
• The Association's registry data support the new measure, which aims to improve patient outcomes by prioritizing timely treatment.
• Public reporting is critical for both hospital performance and patient empowerment, fostering a team-based accountability approach and highlighting efforts to implement quality improvement initiatives.
• The new measure demonstrates the importance of stroke systems of care and the role of the American Heart Association in improving health outcomes by rapidly translating evidence into practice.
• Dr. Lee Schwamm, a volunteer of the American Heart Association and founder of the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke program, welcomes the inclusion of the new measure, citing the Association's data as essential for establishing the credibility of quality measurement reporting systems.
• Dr. Gregg Fonarow, a volunteer of the American Heart Association and member of the Association's Stroke Systems of Care Advisory Group, notes that the new classification aspect helps validate the Registry as a reference resource and signals to hospitals the importance of stroke systems of care.

Statistics:

• 2.5% of each hospital's score in stroke care will be based on the new measure reporting on the timing of thrombolytic medication administration.
• 85% or higher rate of administering intravenous thrombolytic therapy within 60 minutes of arrival will receive full credit.
• Those with lower rates will receive partial credit, and those that do not publicly report will receive no credit for the transparency measure or the new stroke care measure.

Sources:

• American Heart Association Press Release, July 28: "New Ranking Factor Recognizes Hospitals Nationwide for the Timely Administration of Thrombolytic Drugs."
• U.S. News & World Report's incorporation of the American Heart Association's stroke care measure into its national hospital rankings.
• Lee Schwamm, MD, FAHA, interview with the American Heart Association, highlighting the importance of data transparency and timely treatment.
• Gregg Fonarow, MD, FAHA, interview with the American Heart Association, emphasizing the role of the Get With The Guidelines - Stroke program in improving health outcomes.
• "Timeliness of tissue-type plasminogen activator therapy in acute ischemic stroke: patient characteristics, hospital factors, and outcomes associated with door-to-needle times within 60 minutes" by Fonarow et al. (2011), Circulation.