Attitudes and beliefs of Michigan emergency physicians toward tissue plasminogen activator use in stroke: baseline survey results from the INcreasing Stroke Treatment through INteractive behavioral Change Tactic (INSTINCT) trial hospitals.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the baseline proportion of emergency physicians with favorable attitudes and beliefs toward intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) use in a cohort of randomly selected Michigan hospitals.


METHODS
Two hundred seventy-eight emergency physicians from 24 hospitals were surveyed. A confidential, self-administered, pilot-tested survey assessing demographics, practice environment, attitudes, and beliefs regarding tPA use in stroke was used. Main outcome measures assessed belief in a legal standard of care, likelihood of use in an ideal setting, comfort in use without a specialist consultation, and belief that science on tPA use is convincing. ORs with robust 95% CIs (adjusted for clustering) were calculated to quantify the association between responses and physician- and hospital-level characteristics.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-nine surveys completed (gross response rate 71.6%). Ninety-nine percent (95% CI: 97.8 to 100) indicated use of tPA in eligible patients represented either acceptable or ideal patient care. Twenty-seven percent (95% CI: 21.7 to 32.3) indicated use of tPA represented a legal standard of care. Eighty-three percent (95% CI: 78.5 to 87.5) indicated they were "likely" or "very likely" to use tPA given an ideal setting. When asked about using tPA without a consultation, 65% (95% CI: 59.3 to 70.7) indicated they were uncomfortable. Forty-nine percent (95% CI: 43.0 to 55.0) indicated the science regarding use of tPA in stroke is convincing with 30% remaining neutral. Characteristics associated with favorable attitudes included non-emergency medicine board certification; older age, and a smaller hospital practice environment.


CONCLUSIONS
In this cohort, emergency physician attitudes and beliefs toward intravenous tPA use in stroke are considerably more favorable than previously reported.
Scott
Phillip A
PA
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, PO Box 381, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0381, USA. phlsctt@med.umich.edu
Xu
Zhenzhen
Z
Meurer
William J
WJ
Frederiksen
Shirley M
SM
Haan
Mary N
MN
Westfall
Michael W
MW
Kothari
Sandip U
SU
Morgenstern
Lewis B
LB
Kalbfleisch
John D
JD
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008824:Michigan; D010820:Physicians; D012044:Regression Analysis; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator