Abstract TP63: Challenges Of Delivering Equal Care In Mobile Stroke Units: The Experience In Urban Colorado

Introduction: A Mobile Stroke Unit (MSU) has served Aurora, CO since 2016. This service is activated by 911 for stroke-like symptoms. We sought to characterize the population served by this MSU to determine whether it differed from the area’s population and to design targeted community-based interventions for the future. Methods: A retrospective study of the MSU transport cases in Aurora, CO was performed; self-identified variables such as age, race/ethnicity, preferred language, and activation zipcode were recorded and compared to frequencies from the Aurora census using Chi-squared tests. NIHSS and time from last known well (LKW) to dispatch were collected and analyzed with ANOVA type models. Tukey-Kramer and omnibus F-tests were utilized for testing adjustments. Results: A total of 320 MSU patients were included from 2016 to 2021. English speakers comprised 89.3% (vs. 68.2% of the population) and Spanish speakers 7.2% (vs. 21.1%); analysis of preferred language between MSU patients and the Aurora population demonstrated a significant difference (p = 1.75 x 10 -13 ). English-speaking MSTU patients were older than Spanish-speaking patients (67.7 ± 15.9 years vs. 59.3± 17.3 years). Analysis of race/ethnicity demonstrated significant differences (p = <0.001), with 58.9% of the MSTU patients being White (vs. 58.1% in Aurora), 21.8% African American (vs. 16.7%), 15.5% Hispanic (vs. 13.9%), 3.5% Asian (vs. 6.8%), and 0.3% other (vs. 4.5%). Mean NIHSS score was 7.8. Mean time from LKW to dispatch was 86.9 minutes. This time was significantly longer among English-speaking patients (91.4 minutes) than Spanish-speaking patients (46.9 minutes, p = 0.01). No statistical differences were found amongst other sub-groups. Conclusion: There was an increased representation of English-speaking patients with stroke-like symptoms who activated the MSU in Aurora, compared to the general population. Time from LKW to dispatch was significantly longer for English speakers than Spanish-speaking patients, a difference perhaps attributable to age differences. The differences observed through this analysis emphasize the need to develop and deliver educational stroke programing to non-English speakers and older individuals, to maximize the impact of the MSU in Aurora.