2CEERIAS - Phase II of Community Engagement for Early Stroke Recognition and Immediate Action in Stroke (CEERIAS) in the COVID-19 Environment

Project Summary Stroke continues to rank among the leading causes of death and disability. Stroke is a time-sensitive disease, where early activation of the healthcare system and treatment can limit brain damage and its long-lasting effects on disability. Stroke has historically had disproportionate effects on minorities and disadvantaged populations, in which there are higher incidences and worse outcomes. Despite some improvements in overall prehospital and in-hospital stroke processes and education in recent decades, community education remains a major hurdle to combating the death and disability associated with stroke. The CEERIAS study was funded by PCORI in 2014. The objective was to use a patient- and community-partnered approach to develop and implement an effective intervention aimed at increasing early hospital arrival for acute stroke in two high-risk neighborhoods in Chicago. This research team created an educational program that was inspired by and co-created with patients, community stakeholders, clinicians, and researchers. COVID-19 has also had a disproportionally negative impact on Black Americans, also a population at higher risk of stroke. Moreover, these deaths in Chicago are concentrated mostly in just five neighborhoods in the city's South Side. These five neighborhoods are inclusive of two of the high-risk acute stroke neighborhoods from the CEERIAS study. The 2CEERIAS project is imperative to sustaining improvements gained through CEERIAS as it proposes to adopt the CEERIAS in-person approach to the COVID-19 environment using virtual platforms such as video, radio, social media, and texting. Research has demonstrated that despite a relative paucity in stroke-specific examples of social media practice, by understanding innovation, training physicians can gain significant educational, professional, and academic benefits from engaging with social media and that patients benefit as well. This project will examine the use of virtual platforms for community and patient engagement efforts.