Enhanced Stroke Detection in Women Could Save Lives and Reduce Healthcare Costs, New Research Shows

A groundbreaking study has revealed that improving the accuracy of stroke identification in women during pre-hospital emergency care can lead to significant health and economic benefits in Australia. Published in the Medical Journal of Australia, the research highlights that women are currently 11% less likely than men to be correctly diagnosed with a stroke by emergency medical staff, often resulting in delayed treatment.

The study employed sophisticated health economic modeling to assess the long-term impact of correcting this diagnostic gap. Findings indicate that if women received the same level of diagnostic accuracy as men, they could gain an average of 51 additional days of life, nearly a month of quality-adjusted life in perfect health, and healthcare cost savings of nearly $3,000 per patient. On a national scale, these improvements could translate into over 250 extra life years, 144 additional quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and savings of approximately $5.4 million annually.

Accurate early stroke detection is critical for enabling timely administration of interventions like intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), particularly within the critical 60-minute treatment window. Currently, the widely used FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) screening method fails to capture many strokes, especially those with atypical or subtle symptoms often seen in women. For example, Kelly Ryan, from Jordan Springs, experienced a stroke at age 32 that was initially misdiagnosed due to her symptoms not fitting the FAST criteria, resulting in a two-week delay in diagnosis.

This research emphasizes the need for enhanced recognition protocols that include symptoms beyond FAST, such as balance issues, vision changes, and nausea, which are more prevalent among women. Improving diagnostic accuracy not only increases the chances of administering prompt treatment but also reduces long-term disability and healthcare expenses.

The findings underscore the importance of educating medical staff to recognize diverse stroke symptoms in women and implementing protocols that ensure rapid and accurate diagnosis, ultimately saving lives and reducing costs.

Source: Medical Xpress