The Certification Ranking of Stroke Treatment Centers Is Unclear to the General Public

BACKGROUND: Certified stroke treatment centers are classified based on their available resources to treat stroke including an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital (ASRH), a primary stroke center (PSC), a Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TCSC), and comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs). These hospitals all provide varying levels of care with CSCs being the most able to treat all types and complexities of stroke. This undergraduate nursing-led study explored the public's preference for treatment at different certified stroke treatment centers. METHODS: This study was a prospective nonrandomized observational survey of English-speaking adults at a plasma donation center in the Southwest United States. Subjects completed a 2-minute survey asking whether they would drive to the hospital or call 911 during a suspected stroke, and at which type of hospital they would prefer to be treated. RESULTS: Of 249 respondents, 204 (81.9%) indicated that they would call 911 for hospital transport, and 45 (18.1%) would drive their family member to a hospital. Most respondents (95/248, 38.3%) would prefer treatment at a PSC, 90 (36.3%) preferred an ASRH, 52 (21.0%) preferred a CSC, and 11 (4.4%) preferred a TCSC. There was no association between transportation preference and hospital preference dichotomized as CSC or PSC versus ASRH or TCSC (χ 2 = 0.021, P = .885), nor CSC versus other (χ 2 = 0.944, P = .331). CONCLUSION : Most respondents did not select CSC as the preferred treatment site, and 1 in 5 would drive rather than call 911. This indicates a knowledge gap regarding stroke center classification that warrants increased education.