Cardiovascular disparities remain pervasive in the United States. Unequal disease burden is evident among population groups based on sex, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, nativity, or geography. Despite the significant declines in cardiovascular disease mortality rates in all demographic groups during the last 50 years, large disparities remain by sex, race, ethnicity, and geography. Recent data from modeling studies, linked micromap plots, and small-area analyses also demonstrate prominent variation in cardiovascular disease mortality rates across states and counties, with an especially high disease burden in the southeastern United States and Appalachia. Despite these continued disparities, few large-scale intervention studies have been conducted in these high-burden populations to examine the feasibility of reducing or eliminating cardiovascular disparities. To address this challenge, on June 22 and 23, 2017, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute convened experts from a broad range of biomedical, behavioral, environmental, implementation, and social science backgrounds to summarize the current state of knowledge of cardiovascular disease disparities and propose intervention strategies aligned with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute mission. This report presents the themes, challenges, opportunities, available resources, and recommended actions discussed at the workshop. (Circ Res. 2018;122:213-230.

INTRODUCTION: Patients' perceptions of healthcare quality have become an important part of quality measurement. We explored patients' and family's lived experiences during acute stroke hospitalization to develop a quantitative instrument. METHODS: Focus groups were conducted using open-ended scripted questions. Interview data were coded and analyzed using an inductive approach to thematic analysis. Symmetric patient and family instruments were developed based on qualitative domains and serially refined to a set of 30 survey items, 12 stroke knowledge test items, and 5 subject demographic fields. Scales were evaluated for internal consistency reliability using Cronbach α; construct validity with exploratory factor analysis using principal components with varimax rotation was performed to determine the extent to which items in a scale measure the same underlying factor. Feasibility of an electronic cloudbased survey was also tested. RESULTS: Three main themes emerged: fast action to diagnose and treat stroke, genuine caring, and education to prevent and respond to stroke. A total of 1029 subjects completed the final instrument with no differences in perception found by race, ethnicity, or length of stay.