Stroke care disparity for indigenous patients
9th February 2012
Indigenous stroke patients receive inferior care within Australian hospitals, being less likely to receive recommended therapies or be transferred to dedicated stroke units, a new audit shows.
Reviewing a 2009 National Stroke Foundation audit of 33 hospitals, researchers found Indigenous Australian stroke patients had a threefold increased risk of dying or being dependent on discharge compared to non-Indigenous patients.
Indigenous patients were also 28% less likely to receive care from a dedicated stroke unit than non-Indigenous patients.
