Stroke survival rates worse in rural areas, study says | Institute for Public Health

Improved technologies for stroke care may leave rural areas behind

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. Photo credit: Getty Images

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.

Read the story by Julia Evangelou Strait.