TY - JOUR
T1 - Temporal Trends in Emergency Medical Services and General Practitioner Use for Acute Stroke After Australian Public Education Campaigns
AU - Bray, Janet E.
AU - Finn, Judith
AU - Cameron, Peter
AU - Smith, Karen
AU - Straney, Lahn
AU - Cartledge, Susie
AU - Nehme, Ziad
AU - Lim, Michael
AU - Bladin, Christopher
PY - 2018/12/1
Y1 - 2018/12/1
N2 - Background and Purpose- The Australian Stroke Foundation ran annual paid advertising between 2004 and 2014, using the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) campaign from 2006 and adding the message to call emergency medical services in 2007. In this study, we examined temporal trends in emergency medical services use and referrals from general practitioners in the Australian state of Victoria to evaluate the impact of these campaigns. Methods- Using data from 33 public emergency departments, contributing to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset, we examined trends in emergency department presentations for 118 000 adults with an emergency diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack between 2003 and 2015. Annual trends were examined using logistic regression using a precampaign period (January 2003 to August 2004) as reference and adjusting for demographic variables. Results- Compared with the precampaign period, significant increases in emergency medical services use were seen annually between 2008 and 2015 (all P<0.001, eg, 2015; adjusted odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.23). In contrast, a decrease was seen in patients presenting via general practitioners across all campaign years (all P<0.001, eg, 2015; adjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.44-0.53). Conclusions- Since the Stroke Foundation campaigns began, a greater proportion of stroke and transient ischemic attack patients are presenting to hospital by emergency medical services and appear to be bypassing their general practitioners.
AB - Background and Purpose- The Australian Stroke Foundation ran annual paid advertising between 2004 and 2014, using the FAST (Face, Arm, Speech, Time) campaign from 2006 and adding the message to call emergency medical services in 2007. In this study, we examined temporal trends in emergency medical services use and referrals from general practitioners in the Australian state of Victoria to evaluate the impact of these campaigns. Methods- Using data from 33 public emergency departments, contributing to the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset, we examined trends in emergency department presentations for 118 000 adults with an emergency diagnosis of stroke or transient ischemic attack between 2003 and 2015. Annual trends were examined using logistic regression using a precampaign period (January 2003 to August 2004) as reference and adjusting for demographic variables. Results- Compared with the precampaign period, significant increases in emergency medical services use were seen annually between 2008 and 2015 (all P<0.001, eg, 2015; adjusted odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.23). In contrast, a decrease was seen in patients presenting via general practitioners across all campaign years (all P<0.001, eg, 2015; adjusted odds ratio, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.44-0.53). Conclusions- Since the Stroke Foundation campaigns began, a greater proportion of stroke and transient ischemic attack patients are presenting to hospital by emergency medical services and appear to be bypassing their general practitioners.
KW - awareness
KW - emergency medical services
KW - general practitioners
KW - health education
KW - hospitals
KW - ischemic attack, transient
KW - stroke
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85058908954&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023263
DO - 10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.023263
M3 - Article
C2 - 30571429
AN - SCOPUS:85058908954
SN - 0039-2499
VL - 49
SP - 3078
EP - 3080
JO - Stroke
JF - Stroke
IS - 12
ER -