title: 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.
abstract: 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.
authors: 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
authors: Phillip A
authors: PA
authors: Scott
authors: Zhenzhen
authors: Z
authors: Xu
authors: William J
authors: WJ
authors: Meurer
authors: Shirley M
authors: SM
authors: Frederiksen
authors: Mary N
authors: MN
authors: Haan
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: Westfall
authors: Sandip U
authors: SU
authors: Kothari
authors: Lewis B
authors: LB
authors: Morgenstern
authors: John D
authors: JD
authors: Kalbfleisch
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator