2023 SAEMF Research Large Project Grant - $150,000

"An Evaluation of the Current State of Prehospital Routing Decisions for Stroke"

Rapid triage and treatment are critical to minimize post-stroke disability for patients; however, for an ambulance crew with a patient with suspected stroke, determining the best transport destination can be complicated. Guidelines have been developed to help get stroke patients to the best hospital for timely treatment and optimal outcomes. In this study, our goal is to determine how often these guidelines are followed, whether different patient populations or communities are more likely to receive guideline-recommended care, and to determine the difference in patients’ post-stroke outcomes that could be achieved if guidelines were fully followed.

Recipient

Rebecca E. Cash, PhD

Massachusetts General Hospital

"An Evaluation of the Current State of Prehospital Routing Decisions for Stroke"

I am an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School, research staff at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a biostatistician/epidemiologist at the Emergency Medicine Network (EMNet). I provide statistical support and expertise for all EMNet projects. I am also a paramedic with expertise in emergency medical services (EMS) research. I began my career as an emergency medical technician and then paramedic, providing me with valuable first-hand insight into the prehospital care system and, specifically, stroke care in the prehospital setting.
My research has focused on the EMS workforce and systems of care. I have specific training and expertise in survey research, large dataset analyses, geospatial methods and analyses, as well as statistical methods such as mixed effects modeling and generalized estimating equations. During my doctoral training at The Ohio State University, I served as an EMS Research Fellow at the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, gaining valuable experience conducting EMS and emergency medicine research.