Significant Stroke Knowledge Deficiencies in Community Physician Improved with Stroke 120

Abstract

Background and purpose: In the existing model of community health service in China, community general practitioners play important roles in health promotion as well as prehospital stroke recognition and management. We recently engineered Stroke 120 based on FAST for China. This investigation aimed to investigate its acceptance in community physicians and promote their stroke related knowledge.

Methods: We conducted an stroke education session to community physicians or family doctors (total of 435 participants), teaching both FAST and Stroke 120. Online survey was distributed to the participants before and after the education session to evaluate the awareness of stroke and the acceptance of the stroke recognition tool.

Results: Significant stroke knowledge deficiencies were found in community physicians. After the education session, percent of the participants knew that the thrombolytic therapeutic window (<4.5 hours) was improved from 54.0% to 91.6% (P < .001). A total of 88.5% of them would send their patients who had stroke to the nearest hospital with stroke center by emergency medical service, compared to baseline (64.4%, P < .001). In total, 95.2% of them would recommend thrombolytic therapy in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke compared to 82.7% (baseline P < .001). Although majority mastered both FAST (95.5%) and Stroke 120 (98.0%) through our education session, 96.3% of them believe that Stroke 120 is the most suitable for Chinese in stroke education.

Conclusions: Stroke 120 strategy was well accepted by the community physicians in China and in the meantime improved knowledge regarding stroke was observed.

Keywords: Stroke; awareness; community physician; education; prehospital delay; stroke 120.