THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

132

TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO STROKE AWARENESS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that Hawaii stroke patients, for a variety of reasons, delay in seeking care at Hawaii hospitals, often resulting in the patients being ineligible to receive treatments approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration that could improve their health outcomes.

     State legislation passed during the 2015 regular session requires all Hawaii hospitals that receive acute stroke patients through the emergency medical services system to collect and submit stroke patient data to the department of health.  The department of health shares data reports with the Hawaii Stroke Coalition, which includes the following among its members: Hawaii hospitals that receive emergency medical services delivery of stroke patients, state and county emergency medical services representatives, and representatives of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.  Data collected to date has been used to significantly improve the speed and quality of care provided by both emergency medical services agencies and hospitals.  However, the data also indicates that, despite these improvements to care by health care providers, Hawaii ischemic stroke patients often arrive to a hospital too late to receive tissue plasminogen activator, the only medication approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for ischemic stroke treatment.  The window for allowable administration of tissue plasminogen activator is four and one-half hours, after which the risk of using the treatment outweighs any potential health gains.  State data also indicates a reluctance to activate the emergency medical services system even when a stroke is identified.  Approximately half of Hawaii stroke patients are delivered to hospitals by means other than emergency medical services, which results in additional delays in treatment upon arrival at a hospital.  According to the American Heart Association, almost two million brain cells are permanently lost for each minute that passes without treatment to reestablish blood flow.  Even a few minutes in delay in treatment can result in permanent disability or death.  Early treatment can reduce the risk of death, disability, and in some cases reverse the disabling effects of stroke.

     To address this need for better public awareness of stroke warning signs, and to encourage the use of the emergency medical services system to transport stroke patients to hospital care, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association has established a task force of communications and marketing expert volunteers from Hawaii's major hospital systems and health insurance companies, as well as medical experts and other interested parties, to develop a stroke communications plan designed to change public norms and improve stroke response times.  The plan will be designed to use all forms of communication within Hawaii communities, targeted to both the general population as well as disparately affected communities, in a sustained effort to increase stroke awareness and proper response. 

     The purpose of this Act is to provide funding for implementation of the stroke communications plan developed by the task force established by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

     SECTION 2.  (a)  Subject to available funds and approval of the director of health, the department of health shall implement the stroke communications plan developed by the task force established by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

     (b)  The stroke communications plan shall include:

     (1)  Market testing of messaging to insure proper responses; and

     (2)  Results monitoring using the data collected by emergency medical services agencies and stroke care hospitals. 

     (c)  The department of health shall solicit bids from community organizations to manage the implementation of the stroke communications plan.

     (d)  The department of health shall submit a report to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the regular session of 2018 on:

     (1)       The distribution and use of the funds appropriated by this Act; 

     (2)  The data collected by the department of health indicating changes in public norms and stroke outcomes; and

     (3)  Proposed legislation, if any.

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $          or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for implementation of a stroke awareness communications plan.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.


 


 

Report Title:

Stroke Awareness, Communications Plan; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for implementation of a stroke awareness communications plan.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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