Educational outreach to improve emergency medical services systems of care for stroke in Montana.
Prehospital Emergency Care · 2010-01-01 · Observational study
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To improve stroke knowledge, identification, and acute care among first responders (FRs) and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) through educational outreach and support. METHODS: Beginning in 2006, the Montana Stroke Initiative implemented outreach to FRs and EMTs and emergency medical services (EMS) statewide. Cross-sectional telephone surveys of FRs and EMTs were used to evaluate changes in stroke knowledge and practice in 2006 (n = 988) and 2009 (n = 944), overall and in rural and urban counties. RESULTS: The respondents to the 2009 survey were more likely to report the availability of a stroke protocol in their service (69% vs. 61%, p = 0.001), training in the use of a stroke screening tool (62% vs. 42%, p < 0.001), use of a stroke screening tool (62% vs. 40%, p < 0.001), and an adequate level of knowledge about stroke (81% vs. 66%, p < 0.001) compared with the respondents to the 2006 survey. Significant improvements in each of these areas were achieved for both rural and urban FRs and EMTs. CONCLUSIONS: Educational outreach to FRs and EMTs was associated with marked improvement in selected components of the EMS system of stroke care.
Tags
Paramedics & EMTs · Fire service & police · Rural & remote · Triage instruments · Urban