Making interhospital transfers safer for neurologic emergencies
Official title: Improving Interhospital Transfer of Patients with Neurologic Emergencies
Funded at Northwestern University · NIH-11415418 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A physician-scientist at an academic medical center will study how to reduce risky miscommunications and process failures during interhospital transfers of patients with neurologic emergencies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | September 29, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $150,346 |
| NIH project number | 5K08HS029208-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415418 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are patients experiencing neurologic emergencies requiring transfer between hospitals, and the care teams involved in their transfer.
✕Less likely to help
Patients not undergoing interhospital transfer or without neurologic emergencies are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If your family member has a neurologic condition and needs to be moved between hospitals, this work aims to map where things go wrong during the transfer and design user-friendly fixes. The project will first identify high-risk steps in the transfer process using structured analysis, then apply human-centered design to create targeted interventions. It will test whether these changes can be feasibly implemented and whether they show preliminary improvements in transfer safety and efficiency. The overall goal is to empower teams to move patients more safely between hospitals when time and information matter most.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce communication errors and delays during transfers, potentially improving outcomes for patients with neurologic emergencies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work has improved transfer processes for time-sensitive conditions like stroke and heart attack, but this project focuses on non-AIS neurologic emergencies and uses a targeted, design-led approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Northwestern University
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pruitt, Peter B — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Pruitt, Peter B
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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.