Abstract P698: Coming Together in a Time of Distancing: Creating Community Messaging for Emergency Care During Covid

Abstract

Introduction: In the early months of COVID-19 pandemic, a decline in stroke hospital admissions were reported nationwide. In a large, diverse region of Southern California, a collaborative effort was made to collect real-time data trends in stroke code activations and to assess this impact locally. The San Diego (SD) County Stroke Receiving Centers demonstrated a notable decrease of 30% in stroke code activations from March-May 2020 as compared to the same timeframe in 2019, which motivated the group to dedicate time and resources to pursue a united community messaging focused on seeking emergency treatment for stroke. Methods: A unified marketing campaign was created in collaboration with SD County EMS and the SD region American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. A single graphic message was utilized that emphasized the importance of seeking emergency treatment when suffering signs of stroke, along with the slogan “We are here for you. Every minute matters.” Impact of the campaign was gauged by quantifying the number of times our message was viewed on social media and number of stroke code activations after the campaign ended. Results: The unified social media campaign was posted by 14 of the 18 SD County stroke receiving hospitals during the month of June 2020. The team utilized Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to convey the message. The campaign yielded a total of 26,727 views. The median monthly stroke code activations in July 2020 increased to 34, as compared to 26.5 for March-May 2020. Conclusion: In a time when social distancing has become the norm, it is more important than ever to band together as a community. This endeavor demonstrates that virtual messaging serves as a viable option for community education during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the future. A unified social messaging campaign targeting the importance of seeking emergency care for stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic is an effective way to reach large numbers of people regionally.