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Insider analysis: The racial gap in stroke care response times

A University of Michigan study uncovers significant delays in stroke alerts for Black patients, despite equal presentation of symptoms

What happened: A recent study by the University of Michigan and Brown University revealed a significant racial disparity in stroke care for Black patients. The study, involving 600,000 individuals, found that Black patients receive 20% fewer stroke notifications compared to others, leading to delays in emergency care. Black patients experienced a 28-minute delay in being brought in for stroke symptoms, despite presenting similar clinical signs as other groups.

| More: Study: Black stroke patients face 28-minute delay in emergency care

Highlights

Watch as Ed Bauter, MBA, MHL, NRP, FP-C, CCP-C; and Daniel Schwester, MICP, highlight the significance of this development, including:

  • Study identifies a racial disparity in stroke alerts. Black patients received 20% fewer notifications when presenting with stroke symptoms, leading to delayed care.
  • Delays of 28 minutes impact patient outcomes. The research showed that Black patients experienced an average delay of 28 minutes in receiving stroke care, affecting their recovery and survival chances.
  • Bias in stroke assessments raises concerns. Despite similar symptoms, Black patients were underassessed, underscoring the need to address implicit bias in emergency medical services.

The path forward

The findings emphasize the urgent need to address racial disparities in emergency medical response, particularly in stroke care. Reducing bias in assessments and ensuring timely hospital notifications for all patients, regardless of race, is critical for improving outcomes. EMS professionals must be vigilant and strive to eliminate implicit biases that could affect patient care.

| More: On-demand webinar: Time is brain: Stroke assessment and treatment guidelinesv

²ÝݮӰÊÓ is using generative AI to create some content that is edited and fact-checked by our editors.

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Ed Bauter, MBA, MHL, NRP, FP-C, CCP-C

Ed is a managing partner and chief executive officer of Overrun Productions, LLC; and co-host of The Overrun Podcast. Ed is a recovering medical student and paramedic.

His academic interests are in healthcare policy, team leadership and development, resuscitation and EMS medicine. Before attending medical school, he was a field preceptor and EMS educator for 10 years.

A second-generation paramedic, Ed works to inform the public about the importance of EMS and strives to encourage other EMS providers to move the profession forward using the most up-to-date data and technology.

He is a fan of old movies, the New Jersey Devils and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Daniel Schwester, MICP

Daniel Schwester has been a paramedic since 2000. He has served in a variety of roles including education, field training, clinical supervision and active practice as a paramedic.

He is the managing partner of Overrun Productions, LLC; and a co-host of The Overrun Podcast.

He is married to Jennifer, and is father to Caroline and William. He resides in Toms River, New Jersey.