Stroke is the nation’s third leading cause of death, killing nearly 160,000 Americans every year. There is much room for improvement in the care that stroke patients receive and their future outcomes. Each year, approximately 600,000 Americans have a new or recurrent stroke. Moreover, approximately one-third of all stroke survivors will have another stroke within five years.

Until recently, the lack of available diagnostic technologies and treatment options led to a fatalistic attitude toward acute ischemic stroke. However, with recent advances in diagnosis and both surgical and medical treatment of acute ischemic stroke and its precursors, improving stroke prevention and care is an imperative. The aim of this study is to benchmark the current status of ischemic stroke care and stimulate improvement in stroke care at all hospitals that provide it.

We found that 100 Top hospitals have shorter lengths of stay and lower costs while achieving superior clinical outcomes. They also treat sicker patients and yet achieve better results. 100 Top hospitals have lower mortality and complications indices while incurring lower costs and shorter lengths of stay. And 20 percent more stroke patients at these hospitals are released in good enough health to finish their recovery at home, as opposed to a nursing or rehabilitation facility.

If all hospitals in the study performed at the level of these benchmarks, nearly 5,000 deaths from ischemic stroke could have been avoided. Moreover, more than 6,000 fewer patients would have suffered complications. And, on average, half of the patients could have been discharged from the hospital one day earlier.

The range of mortality, complication levels, and ability of the 100 Top Hospitals to achieve much better results at the same or slightly lower costs suggests that there is significant room for improvement across all three groups of hospitals. Speedy changes in practices will save thousands of lives and affect the quality of life of tens of thousands of people across the United States.