Stroke survival rates worse in rural areas, study says

School of Medicine news release • June 18, 2020June 25, 2020

Pictured is an MRI of blood vessels in the brain. An interruption in blood flow to the brain causes a stroke. A new study from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis reveals that stroke care in rural areas lags significantly behind that available in urban centers.

A major U.S. study reveals large gaps between urban and rural patients in quality of care received after a stroke and rates of survival. In more rural areas, the ability of hospitals to deliver advanced stroke care is lower and mortality rates substantially higher, the research shows.