Improving stroke care access for rural communities
Official title: Regionalization of Acute Stroke Care for Rural Populations: A Systems Modeling Approach
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11015886 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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 start | July 7, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $564,596 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018031-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11015886 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals living in rural areas who are at risk of experiencing a stroke.
✕Less likely to help
Patients living in urban areas or those who do not have access to emergency medical services may not benefit from this research.
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.
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 gone: 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
-
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.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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In-bed wearable rehab robot to help stroke survivors recover movement
A wearable robotic device will be developed to help adults who recently had an acute stroke regain movement while still in the hospital.
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When people are most at risk of another stroke after a minor stroke or TIA
Researchers are combining past trial data to find the timing of highest risk for a second stroke after a minor stroke or TIA so treatments can be better timed.
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Improving Participation after Stroke: Self-Management Rehab for Sub-Acute Stroke
A doctor- and patient-friendly program delivered virtually helps people who recently had a stroke feel more confident, stay active at home, and improve quality of life.
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Targeting a brain inflammation regulator to protect cells after a stroke
Aims to test a new approach that tampers with a key brain cell regulator to reduce inflammation and protect brain tissue after a stroke, potentially lowering disability.
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Predicting brain tissue outcome after acute stroke using AI
A researchers at Stanford are testing an AI system that uses brain scans and clinical data to predict which parts of the brain will recover after an acute stroke and how treatment might help.
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Helping brain recovery for people with severe paralysis after a recent stroke
This project builds a wearable in-bed robot to give gentle movement and sensory training to adults with severe weakness right after a stroke.
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.