EMS Research & Innovation
The BioTel System has a longstanding commitment to prehospital research. With the established integration of the academic resources of The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, the infrastructure provided by Parkland Health, and the dedication of member EMS agency personnel, BioTel has made meaningful contributions to prehospital science over the years. This robust and dynamic collaboration enables members of the BioTel System to continue exploring impactful new research initiatives and participating in multi-institutional efforts with partners.
Current Projects
The BioTel System agencies continue to engage in collaboration and research efforts, including the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN), the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival (CARES) research network, and the NIH-funded Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials Network (SIREN). Other projects include the evaluation of trauma handoff for injured patients and ventilation strategies during resuscitation.
PediDOSE Research Study
Since 2023, DFR has participated in an on-going multi-center research project investigating optimal doses of medications for pediatric seizure patients. OMD physicians and staff joined Dallas Fire-Rescue to implement this ground-breaking study and in collaboration with researchers at UT Southwestern and Children’s Health. Read more online here.
Trauma Patient Handoff Study
Beginning in 2023, DFR paramedics participated in a project at Parkland Health directed at improving patient handoff and communication for critically ill trauma patients. The patient presentations by medics to the trauma team were studied utilizing the routine trauma team quality assurance monitoring videos, demonstrating a broad spectrum of presentation techniques by transporting medics, which provided a significant opportunity for continuing education for teams bringing major trauma victims to Parkland Hospital
NEMSQA Airway Improvement Collaborative
Beginning in 2024, Dallas Fire-Rescue joined a national collaborative quality improvement project aimed at identifying effective approaches for improving patient airway management quality
Past Projects
The BioTel System has engaged in multi-center large-scale clinical trials in cardiac arrest and trauma. As part of the NIH-funded Resuscitation Outcomes Consortium (ROC), the BioTel System was a key participant in the Dallas-Fort Worth Center for Resuscitation Research (DFWCRR), which conducted rigorous evaluations aimed at advancing the science of prehospital care. Subjects addressed included cardiac arrest, traumatic brain injury, and hemorrhagic shock. The DFWCRR is based at the UT Southwestern Medical Center, one of the leading biomedical institutions in the country, and under the leadership of Dr. Ahamed Idris, MD, has been a collaboration of seven trauma centers, 38 hospitals, and 20 EMS agencies in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro region with a diverse population of over 4 million.
Selected publications involving BioTel agencies and personnel include:
- Pandya L, Morshedi B, Miller B, Hennes H, Badawy M. Pediatric Outcomes of Emergency Medical Services Non-Transport Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. West J Emerg Med. 2024 Mar;25(2):246-253. doi: 10.5811/westjem.18408. PMID: 38596926
- Nagaraj MB, Lowe JE, Marinica AL, Fowler RL, Salazar GA, Dumas RP. Assessing North Texas Regional Trauma Handoffs: A Multicenter Mixed-Methods Needs Assessment. J Surg Res. 2023;291:124-132. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2023.05.003. PMID: 37385010.
- Nagaraj MB, Lowe JE, Marinica AL, et al. Using Trauma Video Review to Assess EMS Handoff and Trauma Team Non-Technical Skills. Prehosp Emerg Care. 2023;27(1):10-17. doi:10.1080/10903127.2021.2000684. PMID: 34731071.
- Wang HE, Schmicker RH, Daya MR, et al. Effect of a Strategy of Initial Laryngeal Tube Insertion vs Endotracheal Intubation on 72-Hour Survival in Adults With Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2018;320(8):769-778. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.7044. PMID: 30167699.