Dying for the Weekend

Abstract

Quiz Ref ID Previous studies from a range of countries have identified higher mortality in patients admitted on weekends across a range of medical conditions, a phenomenon termed the weekend effect.^1-5 This phenomenon calls into question the idea that quality of care is equal irrespective of when you present at the hospital. Similarly, a small number of international studies have investigated the effect specifically in stroke care and have suggested poorer access to treatments and worse outcomes on weekends, including increased mortality and fewer patients returning to their usual place of residence.^6-11 However, other studies have not identified a significant association between the day of admission and mortality rates due to stroke.^4,12-14 Therefore, debate remains concerning the existence and extent of the weekend effect in stroke care. The studies on stroke care outside regular weekday hours are limited in number, and most of these studies focus primarily on short-term mortality and therefore do not capture wider aspects of the quality and safety of care.¹⁵