Abstract WMP24: Developing Interactive Maps To Visualize Wisconsin’S Regional Stroke Systems Of Care

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Many rural patients experiencing complex strokes are transferred from small hospitals with limited stroke-specific resources (spoke) to larger hospitals (hub). The Wisconsin (WI) Coverdell Stroke Program (Coverdell) utilized the Get with the Guidelines®-Stroke registry to determine the frequency of this spoke-to-hub transfer occurrence in WI in 2020, which was found to be 24.6%. This suggested a need for interactive maps to visualize stroke systems of care (SSoC) linkages between hubs and spoke hospitals across Wisconsin. Methods: In 2021, Coverdell partnered with eight Stroke Coordinators across five WI public health regions. Stroke Coordinators identified hospital transfer connections in their region where transfers occurred 25% or more of the time. With this data, Coverdell developed maps to visualize transfer lines between hospitals with estimated driving distances and transport times via ambulance. User testing, promotion, and publishing to the WI Department of Health Services Chronic Disease website was completed in April 2022. Findings: As of July 1, 2022, our maps have had 389 page views and 272 unique page views. These counts exclude DHS Internet Protocol traffic. Our interactive maps visualize transfers across WI and allow users to select individual hospitals to investigate relationships. We discovered a paucity of certified hospitals and stroke transfers in rural and northern WI. Conclusion: These maps can assist hospitals and Emergency Medical Service providers to visually identify where stroke patients are transported to. In addition, they can help state stroke programs and partners to recognize gaps in SSoC. The maps are a resource for those working with high-risk stroke populations to understand resources available in their communities and wider geographic areas. They also provide a visual representation for policy makers of locations where stroke services may be inadequate.