For the first time, U.S. News & World Report has incorporated a treatment-based measure from the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke program into its nationwide stroke hospital ratings. This inclusion, which focuses on the timing of administering clot-dissolving medication to stroke patients, underscores the significance of data transparency and the critical importance of timely, life-saving treatment.
Historically, U.S. News has considered hospitals’ public reporting status as a factor in its rankings. A public transparency measure, based on registry participation, accounts for 2.5% of the publication’s Best Regional Hospitals rankings. This year, an additional 2.5% of each hospital’s stroke score will be determined by the speed at which eligible patients receive IV thrombolytics, a clot-dissolving medication used to treat ischemic stroke. Timely administration of this treatment is a crucial determinant of patient outcomes.
New Measure Highlights Importance of Timely Treatment
The data powering this new measure comes from the Association’s Get With The Guidelines – Stroke registry. Hospitals that publicly report an 85% or higher rate of IV thrombolytic administration within 60 minutes of arrival receive full credit. Those with lower rates receive partial credit, while hospitals that do not report publicly receive no credit for this measure or the transparency measure.
“One of the biggest differentiating advantages of our data is that we capture reasons for non-treatment, which most electronic health records and other data sources lack. These data are critical in establishing the credibility of our quality measurement reporting systems,” said Lee Schwamm, M.D., FAHA, an American Heart Association volunteer who helped establish the Get With The Guidelines – Stroke program. Schwamm is also senior vice president and chief digital health officer at Yale New Haven Health System.
Schwamm further emphasized the impact of the new measure, stating, “We applaud U.S. News & World Report for including the time-to-thrombolytics measure — it speaks to the real-time impact of the Get With The Guidelines program and the Association’s role in improving health outcomes through accelerating the translation of evidence into practice in cardiovascular and stroke care.”
Implications for Hospitals and Patients
This new ranking component not only validates the Association’s registry as a gold-standard resource but also signals to hospitals the ongoing importance of stroke systems of care. Gregg Fonarow, M.D., FAHA, another American Heart Association volunteer, highlighted the broader implications of this development. “This new ranking component helps validate the Association’s registry as a gold-standard resource and signals to hospitals the continued importance of stroke systems of care,” said Fonarow, who is also director of the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center.
Public reporting plays a vital role in advancing both hospital performance and patient empowerment. For hospitals, it fosters a team-based approach to accountability, showcases efforts to implement quality improvement initiatives, and helps identify areas needing attention. It also opens the door to inclusion in national hospital rankings, further incentivizing high-quality care. For individuals, public reporting offers a transparent snapshot of hospital performance, increasing awareness of key care measures and supporting more informed decision-making when choosing where to receive treatment.
Looking Ahead
The integration of this new measure by U.S. News & World Report represents a significant step forward in the ongoing effort to improve stroke care across the United States. By emphasizing the importance of timely treatment, this development is expected to drive hospitals to enhance their stroke care protocols, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
As hospitals strive to meet these new standards, patients can look forward to receiving more efficient and effective care. Meanwhile, the American Heart Association continues its mission to improve cardiovascular health through initiatives like Get With The Guidelines, reinforcing the vital role of data and transparency in healthcare.
For more information about the American Heart Association’s quality improvement initiatives, visit heart.org/quality.
