Simulation Modeling of a Stroke Systems of Care: Improving Patient Outcomes in Rural Communities
Abstract
In the past decades, studies have been emphasizing the importance of faster treatment for stroke patients, with the notion ‘time is brain.’ Following a landmark paper by the Joint Commission in 2015, several states including California and Illinois, implemented new protocols that reflect the ‘stroke system of care,’ putting EMS agencies with the responsibility of diagnosing stroke patients and bypassing hospitals that are not accredited as stroke centers. However, there is an increasing concern among decision-makers about dealing with stroke care in rural areas under the current healthcare infrastructure. My thesis evaluates the impact of a stroke system of care in varying urbanicity, in the presence or absence of novel technology. I argue that there are potential risks associated with implementing a stroke system of care in rural communities, due to geographic disparities and technological obstacles, that ultimately delay the stroke treatment. The stroke system of care fails to provide an appropriate treatment within the recommended timeframe in rural communities and incites overcrowding issues at level-one healthcare facilities. Implementation of the stroke system via simulation provided valuable decision support for decision makers to assess the impact of a stroke system of care in different urbanicity. This paper provides solutions that may be applied to the stroke system of care to mitigate the failures. Examples include the implementation of telemedicine, development of a new stroke assessment scale, and expansion of stroke teams.
Degree
M.S.I.E.
Advisors
Griffin, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Industrial engineering
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.