An approach to coordinate efforts to reduce the public health burden of stroke: the Delta States Stroke Consortium.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the United States, with a particularly high burden on the residents of the southeastern states, a region dubbed the "Stroke Belt." These five states - Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee - have formed the Delta States Stroke Consortium to direct efforts to reduce this burden. The consortium is proposing an approach to identify domains where interventions may be instituted and an array of activities that can be implemented in each of the domains. Specific domains include 1) risk factor prevention and control; 2) identification of stroke signs and symptoms and encouragement of appropriate responses; 3) transportation, Emergency Medical Services care, and acute care; 4) secondary prevention; and 5) recovery and rehabilitation management. The array of activities includes 1) education of lay public; 2) education of health professionals; 3) general advocacy and legislative actions; 4) modification of the general environment; and 5) modification of the health care environment. The Delta States Stroke Consortium members propose that together these domains and activities define a structure to guide interventions to reduce the public health burden of stroke in this region.
Howard
Virginia J
VJ
School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-0022, USA. vjhoward@uab.edu
Acker
Joe
J
Gomez
Camilo R
CR
Griffies
Ada H
AH
Magers
Wanda
W
Michael
Max
M
Orr
Sean R
SR
Phillips
Martha
M
Raczynski
James M
JM
Searcy
John E
JE
Zweifler
Richard M
RM
Howard
George
G
D000328:Adult; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. / Q000191:economics; D002648:Child; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005380:Financing, Government; D005392:First Aid; D006266:Health Education; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000191:economics; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D014481:United States