Introduction: A key step in reducing onset to treatment time for people experiencing a suspected stroke is early recognition and action in the community. However, a Stroke Foundation survey (2023) found 38% of Australians could not name any of the three most common stroke signs. We describe a hospital-based “Face Arm Speech Time (F.A.S.T.)” public awareness initiative.
Methods: This initiative was undertaken in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), NSW. HNELHD encompasses metropolitan, regional, rural, and remote communities across 131,785 km2 and 25 LGAs. In 2023 over 263,000 patients were seen in HNELHD Emergency Departments (EDs). Clinicians and managers from services/ disease processes from across the HNELHD work collaboratively in Streams to improve clinical services. The previous Did Not Wait Working Quality Improvement Strategy included the Aboriginal Health Unit, ED Stream and Information Communications and Technology (ICT). It resulted in installation of hardware and software to show a 45-minute loop of health promotion videos on television screens in HNELHD ED waiting rooms. The Stroke Stream recognised that the F.A.S.T. message could be included in the loop. The Stroke Foundation provided an existing 30-second F.A.S.T. video. The ED Stream approved for this video to be added to the loop. The ICT Team added subtitles to the video and uploaded into the centrally managed loop.
Results: Each year over 250,000 people presenting to ED and their family/ carers will be exposed to the F.A.S.T. message in 29 ED waiting rooms. The Stroke Stream will review the video annually ensure the messages and video are current.
Conclusion: Through this collaboration we used existing resources to expand the reach of the F.A.S.T. message.
Relevance to clinical practice or patient experience: This initiative could be adopted by other services. Clinicians should consider innovative ways to raise public awareness of F.A.S.T. within their service.