Community Education
Improving the public’s knowledge about the risk factors, signs, and symptoms of stroke is critical to improving the quality of stroke care. Despite numerous efforts to increase awareness, overall knowledge among the public, especially among groups at the highest risk, remains poor.
Increasing awareness requires a coordinated approach that takes into account a host of local issues and targets both those at risk as well as their families, including children.
Successful community education efforts can result in:
- Increased and appropriate use of emergency response (9-1-1)
- Decrease delay time in the presentation of a patient to the Emergency Room
- Increased adherence to risk-reduction regimens
- Increased administration of new acute stroke treatments in patients
Based on this, the Task Force recommends that:
- A stroke system should support educational programs that target high-risk populations and their families.
- A stroke system should ensure that educational efforts include community-based organizations, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
The Role of Community Education in the Stroke Continuum of Care
Rev. Andrea Lomboy serves as a Community Educator for the Virginia Stroke Systems Task Force. On January 20, 2010, she presented, "The Role of Community Education in the Stroke Continuum of Care--Focus on the Faith Perspective." In her presentation she encouraged members of the task force to "Bring together the promise of medicine with the power of faith to lessen the gap between the secular and the sacred while increasing synergies and infusing the potential to build healthier communities through congregational health.” Through this concept, stroke can be addressed in each sector of the public health system emphasizing churches and faith-based organizations as public health partners. By leveraging key leaders, congregational members and volunteerism within the faith community, educating our communities about stroke can be much more effective and have a greater reach.