Public Education

Hospitals, emergency medical services, and dispatch providers should work together to provide public education about heart attack and stroke signs and symptoms, the importance of calling 911, and the benefits of getting treatment fast.
To support this work, we suggest the following strategies and resources.

Strategies

• Educational efforts are most effective when they provide repeated exposures to your message, and are versatile in form, reaching people through a variety of ways and in various forms.

• One-time campaigns of less than two weeks are rarely effective in changing knowledge or behavior. Find ways to  expose people to your message regularly, such as ongoing news stories or placement of posters or signage about calling 9-1-1 for heart attack and stroke in strategic locations.

Your communication should share the benefits of calling 9-1-1 for heart attack and stroke.

• There are effective treatments available for heart attack and stroke that work best when you get to the hospital quickly. The longer you wait, the more heart or brain dies, and the more likely you are to die or be disabled.

• Your fastest way to the emergency room is by calling 9-1-1 and relying on emergency medical services to take you to the hospital. The sooner you get to the emergency room, the sooner appropriate treatment can begin and you have less chance of permanent damage or death.

Points to keep in mind and share in educational efforts when possible:

•  Recognizing the signs of heart attack and stroke and calling 9-1-1 is essential to preventing and limiting disability and death. Everyone should be able to identify when someone is having a heart attack or stroke, and know to call 9-1-1 right away. The Washington State Emergency Cardiac and Stroke Technical Advisory Committee and the Northwest Regional Stroke Network have both selected the Cincinnati Stroke Scale  to help determine if someone is having a stroke. This scale tests facial droop, arm drift, and speech for signs that a person is having a stroke.
  The acronym or short form of this scale, F.A.S.T., (face, arms, speech, time) is easy for people to remember. Stress that the "t " is added to the scale to denote the role of time and the importance of getting emergency care immediately. If we’re all using FAST, it’s more likely that people will be able to recognize the signs of stroke and know to seek care right away. Direct outreach messages to the public, as well as dispatch, emergency medical services, hospital, primary care, and other health professionals.

• Emergency medical personnel can begin treatment immediately–even before your arrival at the hospital. NOTE: The heart may stop beating during a heart attack. This is called sudden cardiac arrest. Emergency personnel have the equipment needed to start the heart beating again.

• Heart attack patients who arrive by ambulance tend to receive faster treatment on their arrival at the hospital.

• In some places, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) can call ahead so the hospital is ready to treat you when you arrive.

• Time matters when treating heart attack and stroke-delays can cost you your life, or leave you disabled.

Your group should develop a "call to action" to be used in your messages that's catchy and concise and "brands" your message to help people connect it with your local effort.

You should take advantage of your most effective tool: As a health care professional, your most effective (and efficient) way to reach people is through the one-on-one contact you have with them. These “in person” opportunities are powerful “teachable moments” where the person you’re with can receive your message first hand.

Consider where and when you could reach out to individuals through existing opportunities such as:

• Individual conversations and counseling

• Time with individuals in health care areas such as the ambulance, clinical office, pharmacy counter, and fire education stations, common waiting areas/rooms, and hotlines or information centers.

Keep in mind that educational efforts are most effective when they provide repeated exposures to consistent messages, and are adaptable- reaching people through a variety of ways and in various forms.

You should also consider:

• Reaching out to community groups through organizational meetings or informational mailings and newsletters, as well as special events such as social and health fairs, sports or games

• Local media venues, websites, and listservs to share success stories and personal experience stories

• Messaging on commonly used items like coffee cup holders, event table tents or flipcharts.

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Resources

Your message should be consistent and include the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association lists of the Signs and Symptoms To Recognize for Heart Attack and Stroke

Posters encouraging activation of 9-1-1 EMS response systems for both heart attack (PDF, 530 KB) and stroke (PDF, 700 KB) are available for work sites, organizations, and communities. Contact Rachel Saunders at 360-236-3781
 

We recommend the following evidence-based resources for public education promotional materials focused on the warning signs of heart attack and stroke and the importance of calling 9-1-1:

• The American Heart Association's "Give Me 5!" campaign that targets the five warning signs of stroke.

• The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute's "Act in Time" for heart attack.

• The Massachusetts Department of Health's "Stroke Heroes Act FAST"

• The American Stroke Association, in partnership with the Ad Council, has audio and video public service announcements available for stroke warning sign education, including the well-known “Arrow” and “Bear Trap” media messages. These can be ordered for free from the Ad Council at the Public Service Announcements Central site . These announcements may not be used for paid placements or co-branded without permission from the American Stroke Association.

The following sites offer trainings for prehospital health care providers on care for stroke and/or heart attack. They are focused on recognition of symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and management of care.

• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association 

• National Stroke Association

• EMS_Live@Nite!

• King County EMS Online

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