Author: catherinercounts

Catherine R. Counts is a health services researcher in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She completed her doctorate in the Department of Global Health Management and Policy at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine where she also previously earned her Master of Health Administration. Dr. Counts also holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and Psychology with a minor in Spanish. Dr. Counts has research interests in domestic healthcare policy, quality and patient safety, organizational theory and culture, and prehospital emergency medicine. Given the crossover between her background in public health and her expertise in emergency medical services (EMS), she specializes in the mechanisms by which providers are changing the way healthcare is delivered in the prehospital setting. She has worked across the healthcare spectrum from EMS to long term care and is well versed in the systemic issues facing American healthcare. In addition to her work at the University of Washington, Dr. Counts serves as a consultant for a variety of quality improvement and EMS related projects, and contributes as a columnist for EMS1.com. She regularly attends a wide variety of conferences and is a member of the National Association of EMS Physicians. In her spare time Dr. Counts trains her urban search and rescue dog Bruno.
Publication

Causes of Chest Compression Interruptions During OHCA

Abstract Background Interruptions in chest compressions contribute to poor outcomes in out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest. The objective of this retrospective observational cohort study was to characterize the frequency, reasons, and duration of interruptions in chest compressions and to determine if interruptions changed over time. Methods and Results All out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests treated by the Seattle Fire Department (Seattle, WA, United States) from 2007 to 2016 with … Continue reading Causes of Chest Compression Interruptions During OHCA

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Publication

Targeted Temperature Management at 33 Versus 36 Degrees: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract Objectives: To determine the association between targeted temperature managementgoal temperature of 33°C versus 36°C and neurologic outcome after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Design: This was a retrospective, before-and-after, cohort study. Setting: Urban, academic, level 1 trauma center from 2010 to 2017. Patients: Adults with nontraumatic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who received targeted temperature management. Interventions: Our primary exposure was targeted temperature management goal temperature, which was changed from 33°C to 36°C in April of 2014 at the study hospital. Primary … Continue reading Targeted Temperature Management at 33 Versus 36 Degrees: A Retrospective Cohort Study

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EMS1

Research analysis: Using continuous feedback to drive cardiac arrest care improvements

The Municipal Emergency Medical Services of Vienna implemented a standardized post-resuscitation feedback system and performed a two-year evaluation of its impact on performance and patient outcomes. They recently published their results in “Resuscitation.” Within 48 hours of every out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) from August 2013 through July 2015 (n = 2466) providers received comprehensive feedback on their performance related to “compression rate, compression ratio, ventilation … Continue reading Research analysis: Using continuous feedback to drive cardiac arrest care improvements

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Publication

Machine learning as a supportive tool to recognize cardiac arrest in emergency calls

Background Emergency medical dispatchers fail to identify approximately 25% of cases of out of hospital cardiac arrest, thus lose the opportunity to provide the caller instructions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We examined whether a machine learning framework could recognize out-of-hospital cardiac arrest from audio files of calls to the emergency medical dispatch center. Methods For all incidents responded to by Emergency Medical Dispatch Center Copenhagen in … Continue reading Machine learning as a supportive tool to recognize cardiac arrest in emergency calls

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EMS1

Research Analysis: More than 1-in-20 EMT deaths are due to suicide

A study out of the University of Arizona College of Medicine was recently published online in Preshospital Emergency Care. The researchers looked at all deaths that occurred in Arizona, as well as the deaths of Arizona residents in another state or country, between 2009 and 2015. Of the 350,998 adult deaths recorded, all were categorized as either suicide or non-suicide via the listed ICD-10 code. The suicides were then further … Continue reading Research Analysis: More than 1-in-20 EMT deaths are due to suicide

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EMS1

Research Analysis: Key takeaways from PART and Airways-2 Trials

JAMA recently published two randomized control trial airway studies comparing endotracheal intubation (ETI) with either a laryngeal tube (LT) or supraglottic airway (SGA) device intubation during out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).  While each study came to a slightly different conclusion, both provide fodder for the ongoing debate around advanced airway management during a cardiac arrest in the prehospital setting. SUMMARY OF THE PART TRIAL … Continue reading Research Analysis: Key takeaways from PART and Airways-2 Trials

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EMS1

Research Analysis: Intubation curriculum increases first pass success

Researchers with Air Methods Corporation recently published the results of their novel airway management curriculum in Prehospital Emergency Care. The curriculum, known as the Helicopter Advanced Resuscitation Training (HeART), focuses on combining critical thinking on the part of providers with established best practices in airway management. This 25-month retrospective observational study includes over 5,000 patients that underwent rapid sequence intubation (RSI) by providers stationed at … Continue reading Research Analysis: Intubation curriculum increases first pass success

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EMS1

Research Analysis: public health and public safety data integration

The Camden Coalition of Healthcare Providers, known for its work focusing on high utilizers within the healthcare setting, teamed up with the Camden County Police Department for one of the most comprehensive evaluations of the crossover between high-utilizing patients and repeat offenders. This collaboration, known as Camden ARISE (Administrative Records Integrated for Service Excellence), looked at arrest data and hospital claims data within Camden, New … Continue reading Research Analysis: public health and public safety data integration

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EMS1

Research Analysis: Airway management better with the bougie

Researchers at Hennepin County Medical Center and the University of Minnesota Department of Emergency Medicine recently published the results of the Bougie Use in Emergency Airway Management (BEAM) randomized clinical trial in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). The BEAM trial compared intubations done in a Level I trauma center using a Macintosh blade, with and without a bougie. Patients were randomly assigned … Continue reading Research Analysis: Airway management better with the bougie

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EMS1

Research Analysis: Addressing attrition of EMS professionals

**The National Association of EMS Physicians hosted its second Twitter Journal Club on April 17, 2018 under the hashtag #NAEMSPJC, discussing the “Prehospital Emergency Care” publication Exiting the Emergency Medical Services Profession and Characteristics Associated with Intent to Return to Practiceby Cash et al.** This article was co-authored with Jeremiah Escajeda. In October 2013, all 310,000 providers with a National EMS Certification and an active email … Continue reading Research Analysis: Addressing attrition of EMS professionals

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