title: Stroke education for multidisciplinary medical personnel in a rural area of Japan for promotion of hospital visit of acute stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There are few studies of stroke education suitable for multidisciplinary medical personnel. A reorganization of the management of acute stroke and stroke education for multidisciplinary medical personnel started since 2013 in our hospital located in a rural area of Japan. This study aimed to examine the effect of our stroke education on changing the number of visits of acute stroke patients to our hospital and to test the stroke knowledge of medical personnel.
  
  
  METHODS
  The stroke education, composed of a 20-minute lecture, was given by a stroke neurologist to 217 medical personnel (age, 49 ± 10 years; male, 70%). Posters printed with the FAST message were given to the participants at the end of the lesson: F, facial drooping; A, arm numbness or weakness; S, slurred speech or difficulty speaking or understanding; T, a time to call an ambulance. Participants completed questionnaires on stroke knowledge at baseline and 3 months after the lesson.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of participants who remembered correctly the FAST mnemonic at 3 months was significantly higher than at baseline (78 vs. 90%, P = .006). The correct answer rate for stroke symptoms other than FAST such as vision loss was approximately 50% at 3 months. The number of visits of acute stroke patients to our hospital, particularly patients with transient ischemic attack, increased significantly compared with that before the stroke education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our stroke education method using the FAST mnemonic designed for multidisciplinary medical personnel improved their stroke knowledge. Reorganization of the management of acute stroke and greater stroke knowledge for medical staff are necessary to increase the visits of acute stroke patients in the rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Minamata City General Hospital and Medical Center, Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawano
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: cyokota@ncvc.go.jp.
authors.forename: Chiaki
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yokota
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Minamata City General Hospital and Medical Center, Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Minamata City General Hospital and Medical Center, Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Minamata City General Hospital and Medical Center, Minamata, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ando
authors.affiliation: Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Minematsu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health; D012424:Rural Population; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Stroke education, FAST; Stroke knowledge; emergent medical service; recombinant tissue plasminogen activator