Community socioeconomic and urban-rural differences in emergency medical services times for suspected stroke in North Carolina.

Objective: Our objectives were to describe time intervals of EMS encounters for suspected stroke patients in North Carolina (NC) and evaluate differences in EMS time intervals by community socioeconomic status (SES) and rurality.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used statewide data on EMS encounters of suspected stroke in NC in 2019. Eligible patients were adults requiring EMS transport to a hospital following a 9-1-1 call for stroke-like symptoms.