Stroke units in Italy: engaging the public in optimizing existing resources

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Stroke care quality is influenced by the implementation of specialized stroke units (SUs).
• Underuse of SUs in Italy suggests potential gaps in public awareness of acute stroke treatment options.
• Community knowledge of SUs and tissue-plasminogen activator (t-PA) may impact the utilization of these critical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the level of public knowledge regarding SUs and t-PA treatment among Italian adults.
• To investigate the relationship between public awareness and the implementation of local stroke services.

Main Methods:

• A national telephone survey of 1000 Italian adults (>18 years) was conducted in May-June 2010.
• Questionnaires assessed awareness of SUs and t-PA treatment.
• Data on SU and t-PA treatment availability were obtained from a concurrent national hospital-based survey.

Main Results:

• Only 15% of participants were aware of SUs, and 26.2% knew about t-PA treatment.
• Awareness of both SUs and t-PA was significantly associated with higher education levels.
• No association was found between the level of stroke service implementation and public awareness.

Conclusions:

• Italian adults demonstrate insufficient knowledge about SUs and t-PA treatment.
• Public awareness does not correlate with the availability of stroke services, which may contribute to the underuse of SUs.
• This study highlights a critical need for public education on acute stroke care options in Italy.