Are EMS bypass policies effective implementation strategies for intravenous alteplase for stroke?

ABSTRACT:

Background

Stroke is a leading cause of disability and the fifth leading cause of death in the USA. Intravenous alteplase is a highly effective clot-dissolving stroke treatment that must be given in a hospital setting within a time-sensitive window. To increase the use of intravenous alteplase in stroke patients, many US counties enacted policies mandating emergency medical service (EMS) paramedics to bypass local emergency departments and instead directly transport patients to specially equipped stroke centers. The objective of this mixed-methods study is to evaluate the effectiveness of policy enactment as an implementation strategy, how differences in policy structures and processes impact effectiveness, and to explore how the county, hospital, and policy factors explain variati

SUBMITTER: Harris AHS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7427915 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature