Free «Evidence on Factors that Support and Influence Quick Intervention Times in Patients Who Have Suffered a Stroke» Essay Sample

Quick intervention to patients suffering from stroke is a clinical issue that requires attention and further investigations. Most clinicians and experts have identified evidence-based factors to explain why quick intervention is paramount to people with stroke. According to Clarke & Forster (2015), delayed intervention could result in serious problems, which include both financial consequences and long-term disability of patients. Immediate medical attention to treat stroke is crucial to minimize long-term effects associated with it. Stroke is caused by rapture or blocked blood flow of vessels in the brain. Studies stipulate that a large quantity of individuals with symptoms of the condition is not brought to the hospital for tissue plasminogen activator treatment, IV r-tPA, in time (Clarke & Forster, 2015). There are three key areas for improvement, namely mass media intervention, intensive public education, and early response. Further, the importance of the issue and potential consequences, if the issue remains neglected, also require close attention.

To offer Alteplase IV r-tPA treatment to patients suffering from stroke, immediate interventions are required (Clarke & Forster, 2015). However, some of these interventions have not been sufficiently studied with respect to their ability to create better outcomes in treating stroke. The aspects to be discussed involve inclusion of mass media intervention, intense public education, and earlier response for patients suffering from stroke. A thorough investigation of the aspects, as well as the study of their significance and consequences will be useful to various researchers and programs, including that of DNP students, in order to deal with cases of stroke.

Aspects

Mass Media Intervention

To start with, mass media represent an important tool of spreading information to the public. Furthermore, it can be used as a teaching tool for raising awareness. In regard to the study done by Flynn et al. (2014), in their Face, Arm, Speech, and Time (FAST) program they used a mass media campaign to create public awareness in identification of stroke symptoms and emphasize the need for immediate response and they realized that it was of significant value. After several attempts of campaigning, notable changes were experienced. Firstly, evaluation done with the use of modeling and observational data authorized by the Department of Health linked a range of professional and public behaviors to the FAST campaign (Flynn et al., 2014). Successive behavioral changes occurred within the first year of the campaign launch.

Mass media intervention is a significant factor in addressing the issue. The number of the emergency calls relating to stroke incidences increased as a result of higher public awareness (Flynn et al., 2014). The increase was recorded at the level of 55% during the first four months. Secondly, the number of patients with earlier hospitalization increased by 9,000. Patients who went for earlier hospitalization and received specialized treatment increased by 2,500 (Flynn et al., 2014). Stroke-related mortality and morbidity reduced by 640 patients. The noted gains in the adjusted quality life years of patients increased by over 2,000 and, lastly, there was the return on the marketing investment of 3.20 dollars for every dollar spent on the campaign (Flynn et al., 2014). Hence, it is evident from the evaluation of the mass media intervention that a range of data results pointed out at positive outcomes (Flynn et al., 2014). However, while the mass media intervention had the positive impact on the awareness of the need for emergency response, including, knowledge, it had a negative influence on public behavior.

Intense Public Education

According to Morimoto et al. (2013), alteplase treatment is important within four and a half hours after the onset of stroke and it is said to improve the functional outcome of the brain. Their study also reported that there are substantial delays of the hospital’s presentation of patients with acute stroke. Morimoto et al. (2013) attributed this to the lack of knowledge about symptoms of stroke, meaning that most patients had no clue what condition they were suffering from. Moreover, there was the need for dissemination of information more widely to the public. Some reports maintained that multimedia campaigns using newspapers, radio, or television proved to be expensive. This was because campaigns ran on a commercial basis and multimedia businesses were out to make profits. In this context, it was necessary to use sustainable means, which would conserve money and be easy to use by various groups, including volunteer groups, NGOs, local governments, academic societies, and patient associations. This included distributing magazines, booklets, or leaflets to the public, ensuring that important information reaches the consumer. In regard to the research by Morimoto et al. (2013), the frequency of the distribution of booklets and leaflets had a significant effect on short-term knowledge of individuals participating in the study. The regions with the highest outreach levels of the public education initiative had the highest response rates although lower rates were recorded among individuals of lower ages, especially people below the age of 12. To support the research, Morimoto et al. (2013) concluded that intervention consistency affected response rates irrespective of the educational level. 

Early Response among Stroke Patients

National Stroke Association (n.d.) stipulates that knowing symptoms and signs are initial steps of ensuring that the patient receives medical emergency assistance almost immediately. Blood flow to the brain continues to be blocked with every minute that passes by, which makes stroke a fatal ailment to the patient. Every minute, the stroke patient loses about 2 million neurons cells in the brain. This could result in the patient losing memory, speech, movement, sight, hearing, and other vital body functions. Studies reveal that early response for patients with stroke relating to receiving Alteplase IV r-tPA treatment reduces mortality rates by ≥ 20 percent. Moreover, it has been found to improve functional outcomes of the patient’s brain (Clarke & Forster, 2015). This is because early responses for patients with acute stroke expose them to time-saving investigations with an emergency CT scan of the brain to locate the blockage, differentiation of ischemic stroke from ICH and, lastly, identification of other pathological processes, if any. This will be important for taking early measures to prevent massive damage of the brain.

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Significance

Investigations on mass media intervention, intensive public education, and early response are significant with respect to transforming treatment given to people with acute stroke. This is because they all promote time consciousness for saving patients with acute stroke. A very good example has been highlighted by the mass media intervention, which helps to disseminate relevant information to the public about the essence of guarding time after the onset of stroke (Clarke & Forster, 2015). Moreover, these interventions prevent financial consequences, which may arise due to effects caused by stroke. The financial strain could impact affected individuals, family members, friends, and the government. Lots of money would be spent on treating the patient who was not brought to the hospital in time for the administration of proper practices that would prevent severe consequences of the condition (Clarke & Forster, 2015).

Consequences of not Addressing the Issue/Problem

The consequences of stroke are serious; first, the condition causes long-term disability. Second, at times it leads to the death of the affected individual. According to Clarke & Forster (2015), about 17 million people worldwide suffer from stroke, 5 million die, and the other 5 million are left permanently disabled. Third, the long-term disability creates the financial burden to both the community and the family. This is because of unplanned visits to the hospital in order to see the doctor; it also causes discomfort and stress to patients (Clarke & Forster, 2015). Finally, the government is also strangled economically because the number of working employees contributing to the economy is reduced.

Conclusion

To sum up, mass media intervention, intensive public education, and early response have proven beyond doubt that quick intervention is paramount for patients suffering from stroke. However, there is still room for improvement since the number of stroke incidences is high and many people do not receive timely intervention. Studies of these aspects have ascertained that they are useful considering the number of deaths and permanent disabilities recorded over the past years due to stroke. Their significance have added weight to the importance of their use since they have transformed the process of treating people with stroke. Moreover, the negligence of not using them could lead to large-scale consequences, including both physical and financial ones. Moreover, the information gathered will be useful for future researches and projects undertaken by students and professionals in the field of nursing. The paper has provided basic information about the prevention of stroke and associated consequences.