Lifting the veil on stroke outcomes: revisiting stroke centers' transparency through public reporting of metrics

Public reporting of healthcare metrics provides transparency that allows patients and emergency medical providers to make informed decisions about where patients should receive care. Most previous reports about public reporting of health metrics have demonstrated significant improvements in outcome metrics after implementation. However, no mechanism exists, voluntary or otherwise, for the public reporting of outcomes of stroke care. We review the components of public reporting of health outcomes data and its limited history in stroke outcomes. We summarize the literature on public reporting in cardiovascular interventions, particularly percutaneous coronary interventions, as a close corollary to mechanical neurothrombectomy. The benefits, limitations, and controversies associated with reporting of cardiovascular outcomes are reviewed with a focus on the development of risk-avoidant behaviors. This article serves as a primer for discussion of the potential benefits, limitations, and unintended consequences of public reporting of stroke data.