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The impact of the UK 'Act FAST' stroke awareness campaign: content analysis of patients, witness and primary care clinicians' perceptions.

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Stephan Dombrowski, Joan Mackintosh, Professor Falko Sniehotta, Professor Vera Araujo-SoaresORCiD, Emerita Professor Helen Rodgers, Emeritus Professor Richard Thomson, Professor Madeleine Murtagh, Professor Gary Ford, Professor Martin Eccles, Professor Martin White

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

BackgroundThe English mass media campaign ‘Act FAST’ aimed to raise stroke awareness and the need to call emergency services at the onset of suspected stroke. We examined the perceived impact and views of the campaign in target populations to identify potential ways to optimise mass-media interventions for stroke.MethodsAnalysis of semi-structured interviews conducted as part of two qualitative studies, which examined factors influencing patient/witness response to acute stroke symptoms (n = 19 stroke patients, n = 26 stroke witnesses) and perceptions about raising stroke awareness in primary care (n = 30 clinicians). Both studies included questions about the ‘Act FAST’ campaign. Interviews were content analysed to determine campaign awareness, perceived impact on decisions and response to stroke, and views of the campaign.ResultsMost participants were aware of the Act FAST campaign. Some patients and witnesses reported that the campaign impacted upon their stroke recognition and response, but the majority reported no impact. Clinicians often perceived campaign success in raising stroke awareness, but few thought it would change response behaviours. Some patients and witnesses, and most primary care clinicians expressed positive views towards the campaign. Some more critical participant comments included perceptions of dramatic, irrelevant, and potentially confusing content, such as a prominent ‘fire in the brain’ analogy.ConclusionsAct FAST has had some perceived impact on stroke recognition and response in some stroke patients and witnesses, but the majority reported no campaign impact. Primary care clinicians were positive about the campaign, and believed it had impacted on stroke awareness and recognition but doubted impact on response behaviour. Potential avenues for optimising and complementing mass media campaigns such as ‘Act FAST’ were identified.Keywords: Delay; Stroke; Awareness; Mass-media campaign


Publication metadata

Author(s): Dombrowski SU, Mackintosh JE, Sniehotta FF, Araujo-Soares V, Rodgers H, Thomson RG, Murtagh MJ, Ford GA, Eccles MP, White M

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: BMC Public Health

Year: 2013

Volume: 13

Online publication date: 02/10/2013

Acceptance date: 30/09/2013

ISSN (electronic): 1471-2458

Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-13-915

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-915

PubMed id: 24088381


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
British Heart Foundation
Cancer Research UK
Economic and Social Research Council
Medical Research Council
UKCRC
National Institute for Health Research
RP-PG-0606-1241National Institute of Health Research

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