EFFECTIVENESS PROGRAM FOR PROMOTING COMPETENCY OF CARE GIVERS FOR STROKE PATIENTS AT EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT OF SAWAENGHA HOSPITAL, ANGTHONG

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational program on stroke and emergency medical services (EMS), particularly access to the 1669 EMS hotline which have proven effective in pre-hospital stroke care. This quasi-experimental study employed a one-group pretest-posttest design with a purposive sample of 30 patients from the emergency department of Sawangha Hospital, Angthong Province. Data were collected from April to June 2024 using a knowledge questionnaire. The intervention was a stroke education program, validated by experts, that included information about stroke symptoms, risk factors, and the importance of accessing EMS. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (paired sample t-test). The results showed a statistically significant increase in the average stroke knowledge score after the intervention (p <0.05). The mean pretest score was 15.9±4.8, and the mean posttest score was 19.23±2.07. This suggests that the education program was effective in improving knowledge, which could lead to faster access to medical care and potentially reduce disability and mortality from stroke.