Research

The Research on EMS and Systems Quality Lab conducts multidisciplinary research that focuses on improving emergency care delivery across the prehospital-to-hospital care continuum. Projects span clinical outcomes research, systems engineering, workplace safety and innovation in austere and operational environments.

Prehospital care and patient outcomes

This research program evaluates how prehospital clinical care and operational decisions influence downstream systems and patient outcomes. Projects focus on optimizing care in time-sensitive conditions and aligning EMS practices with evidence-based medicine while accounting for real-world system constraints.

Areas of investigation include:

  • Prehospital airway management and resuscitation strategies.
  • Hemorrhage control and blood product use.
  • Medication use and downstream effects in vulnerable populations.
  • Patient outcome follow-up and its impact on prehospital clinicians.
  • Prehospital system of care in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The lab specializes in out-of-hospital data considerations and linkages between EMS and hospital data.

Related publications

Workplace violence, safety and risk mitigation

The Research on EMS and Systems Quality Lab leads a comprehensive research program that focuses on understanding, preventing and mitigating workplace violence in the prehospital setting and across emergency care settings. This research is conducted in collaboration with the Study of Aggression and Fostering Effective Response (SAFER) Lab.

Projects examine:

  • Prevalence and risk factors for violence against EMS clinicians.
  • Impact of risk reduction strategies, such as ballistic vests and de-escalation training.
  • Predictive tools and dispatch-based risk identification.
  • Longitudinal patterns of violence across the prehospital-to-hospital continuum.
  • System-level interventions to improve staff safety, communication and preparedness.

This work supports the development of scalable, data-driven strategies to improve workforce safety and patient care environments.

Related publications

Emergency care delivery in austere and operational environments

The lab conducts research in collaboration with private, federal and Mayo Clinic Military Medicine partners to evaluate emergency care delivery in austere, resource-limited and operational settings.

Projects focus on:

  • Prolonged field care and decision-making in delayed transport environments.
  • Telemedicine and remote clinical support for out-of-hospital care.
  • Evaluation of novel diagnostics, monitoring tools and resuscitation technologies.
  • Translation of military medical innovations into civilian EMS systems.
  • Operational performance and care delivery in high-risk and constrained environments.

This work bridges military and civilian systems to improve care delivery in both domains.

Related publications