Physician Awareness and Knowledge of Stroke Practices

Physician knowledge and attitudes regarding acute stroke and stroke prevention are increasing. However, awareness about best practices for diagnosing and managing stroke is still very limited. The approach of many physicians to stroke diagnosis and treatment even for such well-studied areas such as TPA for acute stroke, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation, carotid endarterectomy, and antithrombotic therapy is still very haphazard. There is great potential for improving stroke outcomes simply by improving physician awareness about currently existing “evidence-based medicine” regarding cerebrovascular disease.