The Iowa Stroke Registry was established as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions’ Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program to fund states for the purpose of collecting data to measure and track stroke care. The Iowa Stroke Registry was a component of the grant received by the Iowa Department of Public Health. The goal of the program was to assess the relationship and performance of the acute stroke system with the continuity of stroke care from stroke onset through discharge from hospital care. The Registry was developed, implemented, and coordinated by the Department of Epidemiology located at the University of Iowa College of Public Health. After an initial pilot developmental project, full registration of cases from 2013 through 2017 was provided by thirty institutions providing care to acute stroke patients.

This report is an overall view of stroke in Iowa during the 2013-2017 period utilizing national, state, and Iowa Stroke Registry data to provide a description of the magnitude of stroke, patient demographics, medical and stroke characteristics, and process measures of stroke care from stroke onset through hospital discharge. The goal of the report is to describe the burden of stroke in Iowa and to reflect on the Iowa stroke system of care from 2013 through 2017, highlighting successes and identifying areas for quality improvement. In addition, the report seeks to identify any disparities in the burden of stroke as well as the delivery of care by age, race, and gender.