Rural case management for stroke: the development of a community-based screening and education program

This article describes the evolution of a Community-Based Stroke Risk Screening and Education Program at a 400-bed regional medical center located in southeastern Alabama. The author outlines the implementation of a case management-oriented program developed to target the specific high-risk populations residing in this rural area. Retrospective chart reviews were used to identify a large discrepancy between patient-recognized onset of stroke symptoms and the actual time it took for the patient to present to the Emergency Department (ED). A performance improvement goal was initiated to increase community awareness of stroke warning signs, stroke risk, and prevention. Summaries of the research process, design, and outcome data overwhelmingly indicated a positive correlation between stroke education and ED presentation time.