Optimized Recruitment to Drive Equitable Research in Stroke, Empowering Decision-making (ORDERed)

Stroke is a major health issue, especially for women, who are more likely than men to have worse outcomes and lower quality of life after a stroke. Yet, women are under-represented in stroke research, which limits how well treatments work for them. This study aims to change that by testing a new way to recruit women into stroke research using the ORDER toolkit, a set of easy-to-understand, women-focused materials like brochures and videos co-designed with patients. This new approach will be compared to the usual way of recruiting patients. The study will track how many people join, how long it takes to make a decision, and what influences participation. Patients and research coordinators will also share their feedback on the process. Our goal is to make stroke studies more inclusive so that research findings benefit everyone equally.

Participants eligible for StrokeGoRed hospitalized cohort are eligible for ORDERed: Inclusion Criteria: * All patients, regardless of age or baseline disability, seen in urgent TIA/stroke clinics and referred from the emergency department for suspected TIA or minor stroke will be included over one calendar year Exclusion Criteria: * There are no exclusion criteria Participants eligible for StrokeGoRed hospitalized cohort are eligible for ORDERed: Inclusion Criteria: * Ischemic stroke * Intracerebral hemorrhage Exclusion Criteria: * Cerebral venous thrombosis * Subarachnoid hemorrhage * Subdural hemorrhage * Intracranial hemorrhage due to trauma or underlying mass * Clinical transient ischemic attack without evidence of infarct on neuroimaging * Imaging abnormality (e.g., dissection, carotid stenosis, vessel irregularity) without imaging or clinical evidence of stroke * Stroke that occurred while being admitted for another reason * Stroke that started more than 14 days prior to admission * Stroke initially treated outside of Canada * Stroke where inpatient stroke or neurology service was not consulted