SCOPES (Advancing a Successful COmmunity Paramedic and Emergency Services) Program: Promoting Stronger Stroke Community Health Through Tele-Education
Nina Solenski1, Brett Schneider1, Samuel Collins2, Christine Buttenshaw1, Kathryn Fivelstad3, Cesarina Thohan1, George Lindbeck3
1Neurology, 2Psychiatry, 3Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System
Objective:
The SCOPES program aims to enhance the rural EMS/primary care healthcare workforce in Virginia by 1) implementing stroke-related ECHO-based tele-educational series, 2) offering a paramedic certification preparatory course and 3) EMS training for a prehospital ambulance-based telestroke program.
Background:
Cerebrovascular disease accounts for about 1.9 million U.S. emergency visits annually and rising. Post-COVID shortage of EMS providers in rural areas is significant, worsening patient care at a time when cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease rates are rising.
Design/Methods:
Targeting seven rural counties with high stroke morbidity and mortality, SCOPES partnered with seven EMS agencies, a technical education center, a community college, and a rural undergraduate college. The prehospital telestroke program was improved by equipping two ambulances per agency with affordable tele-stroke technology, including sound bars, external monitors, and modems, using 5G-4G cellular access. EMS can alert on-call ED neurologists for a rapid live video exam upon identifying a stroke patient. After assessing the needs of EMTs/PCPs/APPs, two virtual ECHO series were created: one for EMS providers and another for primary care providers focusing on stroke topics with open enrollment and free CE/CME credits.
Results:
The EMS ECHO series covered 35 topics and attracted 140 registrants from five states and 20 rural counties. The "Stroke Ready" primary care ECHO had 88 registrants focused on 12 case-based topics. All series received positive satisfaction ratings. The paramedic certification course featured 23 topics with 175 registrants. Additionally, sixteen ambulances were equipped with telestroke technology, and 89 EMS providers were trained. Twenty percent of transported telestroke patients received TNK treatment within 25 minutes of ED arrival.
Conclusions:
SCOPES aims to enhance the skills of rural EMS and PCPs while improving equitable access to the highest quality of stroke care. Future evaluations will monitor EMS response times, treatment durations, patient outcomes, ED avoidance, and cost savings. Supported by: HRSA Grant TR1RH45929‐01.
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.