Objective:

This study developed a tailored bilingual educational program at a free clinic to improve stroke symptom recognition among underserved patients.

Background:

Stroke disproportionately affects minority and uninsured populations, often due to delayed recognition and lack of access to healthcare. Student-run free clinics serve as critical safety nets for underserved populations. This study aimed to identify gaps in stroke awareness among patients at the Phillips Neighborhood Clinic and develop a culturally and linguistically tailored educational program to improve early symptom recognition.

Design/Methods:

62 surveys (30 English, 32 Spanish) were collected assessing stroke knowledge. Survey responses were double-blind coded, and analyzed using covariate analysis and linear regression. Based on identified gaps, we developed educational posters and pamphlets in English and Spanish. We then delivered a bilingual educational intervention to 57 participants (26 English-speaking, 31 Spanish-speaking). Participants completed a follow-up survey to measure changes in stroke knowledge.

Results:

Participants had limited knowledge of stroke-induced brain cell death and often failed to recognize balance/vision changes as warning signs. Key gaps included a poor understanding of physicians' role in prevention, limited dietary risk factor knowledge, and low alcohol risk awareness in the Spanish group. After the intervention, English speakers saw dramatic improvements in recognizing facial droop (23% to 77%) and urgency in stroke response (46% to 88%). Spanish speakers showed significant gains in identifying balance (13% to 35%), vision symptoms (6% to 26%), and moderate improvements in diet/alcohol risk awareness. Neither group improved meaningfully in understanding the time sensitive nature of stroke, suggesting a need for refined messaging.

Conclusions:

Free clinics provide an opportunity for delivering stroke education to at-risk populations. Challenges include serving a highly diverse patient population with varying levels of health literacy. Despite these barriers, our initiative demonstrates that tailored educational interventions can empower student volunteers to deliver impactful health education.