Improving stroke care access for rural communities
Regionalization of Acute Stroke Care for Rural Populations: A Systems Modeling Approach
This study is looking at ways to improve emergency care for people in rural areas who have strokes, by finding the best ways for ambulance services to get patients to specialized hospitals quickly and efficiently.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11015886 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates how to enhance access to acute stroke care for rural populations, who face higher mortality rates due to limited medical resources. It aims to develop a systems model that evaluates different emergency medical service (EMS) triage and transport strategies to optimize patient outcomes. By analyzing how EMS can better route patients to specialized stroke centers, the project seeks to reduce treatment delays and improve overall care coordination. The approach includes decision-analytic modeling to simulate various scenarios and identify the most effective strategies for rural areas.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are individuals living in rural areas who are at risk of experiencing a stroke.
Not a fit: Patients living in urban areas or those who do not have access to emergency medical services may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could significantly improve survival rates and quality of life for stroke patients in rural communities.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that regionalized stroke care systems can improve outcomes, but this specific modeling approach is novel and untested.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patel, Mehul D. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Patel, Mehul D.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.