REACT AGAINST STROKE

Acute stroke management represents a true medical emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and urgent treatment. In a previous exhaustive cohort study conducted in the Rhône region, France (AVC69) the investigators observed that only a small percentage of patients could access to thrombolysis in time. In this cohort of 1306 patients treated in one of the emergency department of the Rhone region for a suspected stroke, 84% of patients reached hospital through an emergency department instead of going directly to a stroke unit. Among those patients, only 8% were finally thrombolysed, because of extended management times.. Our hypothesis was that public awareness campaign designed to improve public's knowledge and skills would consequently reduce prehospital time and favour call to prehospital emergency medical services (EMS). The investigators will conduct an awareness campaign aimed at the general population, using different communication media, the content will be developed based on the results of a qualitative study with focus groups (Quali-AVC), and using a diffusion plan established with communications professionals. To assess the effects of this campaign, a comparative quasi-experimental before-after study will be conducted. A control region where no awareness stroke program has been set up has been selected, data will be collected in the two regions. The assessment of the impact of the campaign will focus on the comparison of the evolution of indicators between these two regions. Three assessment time will be provided: before starting the program, at 3 months and at the end of the program.