The SCOPE program educated 3,179 individuals on stroke prevention and recognition, with 27% reporting prior stroke or TIA among participants screened for risk factors.
Community stroke education programs can reach thousands of individuals and identify significant proportions of the population with unmanaged stroke risk factors.
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Background and Purpose: Cerebrovascular disease is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide, and its prevalence is increasing. According to 2024 data from the Global Burden of Disease Study, stroke now causes 10.7% of all deaths globally, with its impact growing significantly from 1990 to 2021. As stroke incidence continues to grow with an aging population, educating the public and training future healthcare providers is essential. Community awareness is especially vital, as recognizing stroke symptoms early and responding quickly can greatly improve patient outcomes. A rural hospital in appalachian Kentucky decided to use the SCOPE (Stroke Community outreach prevention and education) program, a key initiative within the Stroke Care Network (SCN) that plays a vital role in offering free community services aimed at improving stroke awareness. Its mission is to increase understanding of stroke prevention, early recognition, and available treatment options. SCOPE has 3 different components made available to serve the community. Once the educational event is complete, standard data points are to collected and submitted to SCN. Data was collected for analysis. Results: From 2021 to 2025, 3,179 individuals received stroke education at 31 different events. The Youth Brain Protector Program had the most events at 15 with 2,355 children educated. 158 individuals completed the education-based stroke risk screenings. 77% of screened individuals were females and 66% were under the age of 55. 90% reported as Caucasian and 0.8% as African American. Individuals self-reported stroke risk factors as follows: prior stroke or TIA (27%), atrial fibrillation (8%), high cholesterol (26%), smoker (13%), exercise (29%), and diabetes (22%). 41% of the individuals had elevated systolic blood pressure (>140). This data can be used to effectively target and tailor educational support. Conclusions: Being able to provide the local community with education concerning signs and symptoms of stroke and risk factors to prevent strokes is one role of a stroke program coordinator. There is no age that is too young or too old that could not benefit from this type of education. By providing and tracking community education, a stroke program can get a better understanding of what information needs to be taught to community members.
Heather Saylor (Thu,) reported a other. The SCOPE program educated 3,179 individuals on stroke prevention and recognition, with 27% reporting prior stroke or TIA among participants screened for risk factors.