Introduction
Stroke, acute ischemic stroke reduces, stroke, poststroke, acute stroke
ACUTE STROKE, STROKE, ACUTE STROKE, STROKE
Administration of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke reduces poststroke disability, yet it is underused.Acute stroke treatment is a model for the codependence of the community and the medical system. Patients with stroke must arrive at the ED soon after stroke symptom onset, and the ED must be optimized to treat them. Prehospital delay is predominantly due to patient-related factors, such as decision delay (ie, the time from symptom onset to the decision to seek medical attention) or the presence of stroke bystanders, given that patients with stroke may be unable to seek help.Given the existence of stroke racial disparities, complexities of racial and income discrimination, and mistreatment within disinvested communities, it is crucial to partner with the community and local health system to design and test interventions. In this context, we present the results of the Stroke Ready project, an ED and community intervention to increase thrombolysis treatment by decreasing prehospital delay and optimizing ED acute stroke care developed and implemented through a community-based participatory research approach. We also hypothesized that Stroke Ready would increase EMS utilization and decrease the time from ED arrival to thrombolysis for stroke in Flint, Michigan.