🚨BE-FAST — The Stroke Recognition Code
If you see any one of these — call 911 immediately. Do not drive. Do not "wait and see." Note the time the symptom started — that timer determines what treatments are still possible.
🎯Three Phases · One Force Field
Every square belongs to one of three phases of mastery. Inside each square's detail panel, the four sections — Concepts · Skills · Actions · Plan — are the building blocks of these phases.
📘 Learn It Tier 1 · Aware
Identity earned: Self-Advocate. The "know" — head knowledge, BE-FAST, time windows, ischemic vs hemorrhagic, your risk factors.
🛠 Live It Tier 2 · Active
Identity earned: Care-Team Member. The "do" — daily skills (BP cuff, AFib check, med adherence) and this-week actions that turn skills into habits.
📣 Share It Tier 3 · Certified
Identity earned: Ambassador. The "carry forward" — teach BE-FAST to your family, mentor a survivor, advocate in your community.
🛡️Your Force Field — 16 Squares
Click any square to open its detail panel. Each square is a tile in your shield. Keep clicking, learning, and acting — your Force Field gets stronger every step.
What Is a Stroke?
Brain cells dying because blood flow stopped (ischemic, ~87%) or a vessel ruptured (hemorrhagic, ~13%). A TIA is a "warning stroke" — same symptoms, blood flow restored before damage. Time is brain.
Primer360 Human Anatomy
Cerebrovascular
Heart → carotid + vertebral arteries → Circle of Willis → brain regions. A blocked vessel kills ~1.9 million neurons per minute. Where the vessel sits decides which function you lose.
AnatomyWho Gets It?
~795,000 Americans/year. Risk rises with age, BP, AFib, diabetes, smoking, family history. African Americans in the southeast U.S. "Stroke Belt" carry the highest incidence and youngest age of onset.
PrimerThe Numbers
~795K strokes/year · ~160K U.S. deaths/year · #1 cause of long-term adult disability. ~80% are preventable. Every 40 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke; every 3 minutes someone dies of one.
PrimerBE-FAST Recognition
Balance · Eyes · Face · Arm · Speech · Time. Any one symptom = call 911. Do not drive. Note the start time. EMS routes to the right stroke center.
Learn ItThe Time Windows
Clot-buster (tPA / tenecteplase): up to 4.5 hours from symptom start. Clot removal (thrombectomy): up to 24 hours for the right large-vessel blockages. Faster = more brain saved.
Learn ItKnow My Numbers & Risks
BP <130/80, A1c <7%, LDL often <70 after stroke, AFib detected and anticoagulated, no smoking, alcohol moderation, sleep apnea screened. Each lever measurably cuts recurrence.
Learn ItLifestyle Force Field
Mediterranean / DASH eating · 150 min/week movement · 7+ hr sleep (treat OSA) · stop smoking · alcohol moderation · stress / breathing skills. Lifestyle drops recurrence as much as a medication.
Learn ItSecondary Prevention Meds
Antiplatelet (aspirin, clopidogrel) for most ischemic strokes; anticoagulant (apixaban, warfarin) if AFib; high-intensity statin; BP meds to goal; diabetes meds to goal. Adherence is everything.
Live ItCare Team Members
Vascular neurology · primary care · cardiology (if AFib) · rehab trio (PT, OT, speech) · RN care manager · pharmacist · behavioral health · AHA peer mentor · home health if needed.
Live ItTelemedicine & Tech
Telestroke at your local ED gives you a vascular neurologist in minutes. Validated home BP cuff. Smartwatch AFib alerts. Rehab apps for speech and motor practice. MyChart for follow-up.
TechInsurance, Rehab & Cost
Acute → IRF (inpatient rehab) → SNF or home health → outpatient rehab. Medicare covers most. FMLA + ADA at work. Stroke is the #1 reason for long-term-care insurance claims — know your coverage.
Live ItEquity & the Stroke Belt
African Americans have ~2× the stroke rate of White Americans, with onset ~10 years earlier. The southeast "Stroke Belt" carries the heaviest U.S. burden. SCD + HTN + T2D + OSA cluster — stroke is the named outcome.
Share ItTeach BE-FAST
Teach BE-FAST to your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your church, your barbershop. The person who recognizes your stroke is more likely to be a loved one than a doctor.
Share ItShare Insights with Clinicians
Survivors are the best teachers. Share your "what worked / what didn't" letter with your stroke team. Speak at grand rounds. Help train EMS, ED, and rehab teams. Your story changes practice.
Share ItJoin the ROI Study
PHIT — Population Health Impact Tracking. Aggregate & anonymous. Help prove this program reduces second strokes, ED visits, readmissions, and disability for stroke populations.
Study🩺 Hand-off to my Stroke Team
Print and bring to your next visit. This page tells your team what you have prepared for, what you want to focus on, and how you would like to participate as an active member of your own care team.
- I am a Prepared Patient in training for Stroke. I have reviewed all 16 squares of this Force Field Fact Sheet.
- I have started building my Health Passport, my BE-FAST family card, my home BP log, and my medication adherence log to bring to every visit.
- I want to teach back what I have learned and have you correct anything I have misunderstood — especially around my BP / A1c / LDL goals, my antiplatelet or anticoagulant plan, my AFib status, and when to call 911.
What helps my visit
Two minutes for me to teach back. One question I prepared. My home BP log. My med list. Confirm my goal numbers on the chart.
What I am working on
Hitting BP/A1c/LDL goals · medication adherence · Mediterranean / DASH eating · sleep apnea screen · AFib monitoring · rehab continuation · my family knowing BE-FAST cold.
How I want to participate
Shared decisions. Full med list before changes. Tell me your top 1–2 priorities so we agree. Use the AHRQ SHARE Approach. Help me see my numbers, not just my prescription.
🔬 Help Prove This Works — Join the FFH ROI & PHIT Study
The Prepared Patient program is being studied to see whether better preparation actually reduces second strokes, ED visits, hospital readmissions, and total cost of care — for you and for the people in your circle of influence. Your participation is voluntary, your data is aggregated and anonymized, and you can withdraw at any time.
➕ Add-On Force Field Card · Device or Skill Mastery
If your care plan adds a medical device or new skill, bolt on a 5-step Add-On Card. For Stroke common bolt-ons include: home BP cuff (validated upper-arm), pill organizer + reminders, AFib-capable smartwatch, CPAP onboarding (if OSA), home rehab program (PT/OT/SLP), MyChart messaging, fall-prevention home audit, weekly weight log.
Introduce
What it is, why it matters, what it does
Coach
Watch a demo + walk-through
Practice
Do it with a coach watching
Train
Use it daily with a check-in
Test
Demonstrate competence + earn badge
Ready to go deeper?
The Prepared Patient · Stroke course turns this fact sheet into a guided journey: pre/post knowledge checks, BE-FAST drills, secondary-prevention regimen mastery, the rehab continuum, comorbidity awareness, badge tests, and your printable Health Passport. Earn Aware → Active → Certified.