Research is fundamental to all of CIT’s activities. Without strong data generated by researchers working in rural environments our efforts at prevention or training will have limited impact and success. Our research, both qualitative and quantitative, includes the identification of problems and the measurement of the influence that select interventions have had on such a problem. Often we rely on existing data and likewise we gather and analyze data that are unique to a project. Our efforts have used both highly structured quasi-experimental approaches and less rigorous evaluation processes. CIT’s research efforts have been widely published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national and international forums. Distance Learning (click for more)
Colorado WRETAC BIS Assessment
Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death overall for Alaskans. It is the second leading cause of death behind unintentional injuries for the age group of 15-34 and the third leading cause for the age groups of 10-14 and 35-44. The mortality follow-back study is an adaptation of the psychological autopsy. This is an intensive interview or series of interviews combined with other records designed to reconstruct the circumstances associated with an individual's death. Even though we can describe the epidemiology of suicide in Alaska, we are unclear about the factors that contribute the unacceptably high rates of suicide, particularly among some Alaska Native populations and in the more remote and rural reaches of the state. The Suicide Prevention Follow-Back Study will help researchers, clinicians, mental health providers, preventionists and the general community begin to more fully understand suicide, its impact, and potential strategies for its reduction. The study is being conducted in collaboration with the Alaska Injury Prevention Center.
Experts estimate that as many as 98,000 people die in any given year from medical errors which occur in hospitals. Pediatric medical errors are perhaps most likely to occur during an emergency resuscitation situation. Several factors contribute to this increased likelihood and the overall purpose of this research project is to demonstrate the impact of education, and specifically a color-coding pediatric system design, in reducing medical errors in an emergency situation. The study is being conducted in collaboration with the Utah Department of Health, Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, EMSC program.
The use of personal digital assistants (PDA), such as Palm Pilots and Hand Spring Visors, is proliferating among EMS agencies. However, controlled trials concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of these devices have been lacking. One of the issues that has confounded evaluation efforts is the myriad of potential applications for the devices that include: global positioning/global information systems; references and referral material; two way digital communication; and patient information collection and retrieval, to name a few. CIT compared the effectiveness of the proposed scannable paper-based/ desktop patient care record against a PDA-based/ desktop system and the previous hand written reports for issues of timeliness, accuracy, completeness and legibility of data, and inclusion or exclusion of prehospital records from the patient’s hospital medical record. Also examined were the relative system costs of deployment, training and maintenance, along with user satisfaction. This research was supported by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University.
1998 Rural Preventable Mortality Study The purpose of this study was to replicate the 1992 RPMS and Inappropriate Care conducted by the Critical Illness and Trauma Foundation. The results of the 1999 RPMS compared the rates of preventable deaths and inappropriate care with the 1992 RPMS. Significant improvements in the rate of preventable deaths were noted in Montana's voluntary trauma system. The results of this study were published in the Journal of Trauma.
Pediatric Preventable
Mortality
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Provider Comfort Levels in Caring for Infants and Children
Over a 4-year period, recertifying prehospital providers in Kansas were asked to rank their comfort levels in caring for children. The responses of almost 23,000 providers showed that comfort levels remained relatively constant and were apparently not influenced by certification level, number of annual pediatric contacts, continuing education or longevity as a provider. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services. Imbalance Between Suicide Prevention Strategies and Risk
This study compared Montana's suicide prevention plan strategies to the mortality rate from suicide in various age groups, finding an imbalance between the strategies and the risk for the age groups. The project was supported, in part, by the Suicide Prevention Research Center, at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas, NV.
Pediatric Injury
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State of the Region Report (click for more) This document reports aggregate data on issues affecting the health and welfare of children across the intermountain region. For purposes of this document, the region comprises the states of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. There are many similarities across these eight states including issues of demography, geography, climate and health care resources. Pediatric Equipment in
Ambulances
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