Table. Statewide Stroke Policy Components and Definitions, 2005-2020.

Stroke policy component	Definition
Tiered stroke centers	Law expressly requires or authorizes hospitals or other health care facilities to hold themselves out as providing stroke care at a specified level
Standardized emergency medical technician stroke assessment	Law authorizes emergency medical technician education and/or training in stroke assessment, triage and transport using stroke protocols, scales, or other assessment tools
Stroke task force or continuous quality improvement, statewide or regional	Law requires or authorizes establishment of a task force, advisory body, council, commission, committee, subcommittee, workgroup, or similar entity whose role is to oversee or advise on the development and/or implementation of a SSOC or the coordination of stroke care across EMS, hospital, and posthospital care within an existing trauma system of care; law expressly establishes or authorizes a statewide (defined as a state-level or centralized approach to providing care across the state) stroke CQI plan; planning process; process, program, or stroke system evaluation; system performance monitoring (or measurement); and stroke system quality assurance
EMS stroke alerts	Law expressly authorizes prenotification (direct communication) between EMS and receiving facility that an emergency medical technician is transporting a patient with a suspected stroke to the facility by ground or air
EMS triage and transport protocols	Law expressly authorizes or requires statewide and/or regional EMS protocols for stroke assessment and triage and statewide and/or regional EMS transport protocols to a stroke facility using ground transport

Abbreviations: CQI, continuous quality improvement; EMS, emergency medical services; SSOC, stroke system of care.