Cullman Regional Medical Center is a 145-bed hospital in Cullman, Alabama, that serves more than 175,000 residents in a six-county area, and is recognized as one of the region’s finest medical facilities. As the only hospital in the area for almost an hour in all directions, Cullman fills a great need and maintains a robust connection with the community.
Cullman dedicates itself to the health and well-being of the community it serves and is committed to improving performance using evidence-based interventions that increase the chances of healthy outcomes for patients. Cullman also recognizes the importance of patient satisfaction as a quality measure in health care.
BrainScope Assessments Leading to CT Avoidance
BrainScope Brain Function Assessments Indicating Concussion
Decrease in Avg. LOS with BrainScope NEG SIC Results
Cullman’s emergency medicine team, led by Dr. Mark Christensen, Director of Emergency Medicine, was exploring ways to improve the care pathway for low- to mid-acuity (Glasgow Coma Scale 13-15) head-injured patients.
Dr. Christensen explored utilizing cutting-edge technology with specific parameters in mind:
Shortly after implementation, a 25-year-old pregnant patient presented to the ED with a head injury from a car accident. The patient had no LOC but complained of a headache. Typically, in this type of situation, a clinician would order a head CT. Of primary concern to the patient was exposing her unborn baby to radiation. The team considered performing a CT scan with a shield
over the patient’s belly, but elected to complete the BrainScope EEG assessment to obtain objective information to aid in determining the patient’s need for a CT scan, without radiation: