title: An approach to coordinate efforts to reduce the public health burden of stroke: the Delta States Stroke Consortium.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294-0022, USA. vjhoward@uab.edu
authors.forename: Virginia J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Acker
authors.forename: Camilo R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.forename: Ada H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Griffies
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Magers
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michael
authors.forename: Sean R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Orr
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Raczynski
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Searcy
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Zweifler
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Howard
mesh_terms: 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