The scientific focus of our research in PRE is aimed at enhancing the understanding, treatment, and outcomes of patients requiring acute care outside of the hospital. Unlike research in community medicine and general practice, the scope of our research is limited to acute illness, trauma, or acute worsening of conditions that require a response from healthcare services. Since prehospital acute care is a complex system involving multiple stakeholders, patients can often enter different trajectories with varying degrees of access to advanced resources for diagnosis and treatment. Understanding why and how this happens will help us plan and provide equitable, safe, and sustainable acute services.

Our research covers a broad spectrum, ranging from neonatal to elderly patients, and incorporates perspectives from primary, mental, and specialist healthcare services. By studying the interaction between patients, relatives, and the different providers across healthcare organizations, we aim to master the complexities of prehospital acute care. Ultimately, our research aims to improve equity, safety, and sustainability of acute services, enhancing outcomes for patients and the broader healthcare system.

We believe that engaging our personnel in research, quality improvement, and development is our best option to remain an attractive place to work!

Cardiac arrest is an acute and life-threatening condition that, if left untreated, will result in death. It is also the most extensively researched condition in our group, utilizing an epidemiological, clinical, and educational approach.

The field of transfer and retrieval encompasses research on emergency medical dispatch, transport medicine and patient safety. This research is honing in on the optimization of processes of recognition, treatment, transportation, and patient outcomes, ensuring the best practices and patient outcomes.

Our research into sensor technology and signal processing developments is designed to empower both clinicians and patients. We aim to enhance advanced prehospital treatment, bridge monitoring between prehospital and in-hospital settings, and aid detection of health deterioration necessitating a transfer from homecare to hospital care. These aspects also consider future challenges outlined in the whitepaper on regional and rural policy. 

In addition to prioritization and resource allocation, this field include health service research and the patient perspective. Sustainable health care is a major challenge in the future, and we need to balance the focus in emergency telephone triage from sensitivity (trying to find everyone with a serious condition) towards specificity (avoiding unnecessary ambulance missions to those that would benefit from other responses). This is the aim for our research into EMCC for cardiac arrest and stroke, and projects in the search for better and safer triage systems in EMCC. 

Contact information:
Group leader: Jo Kramer-Johansen, Professor II/anesthesiologist, PhD, 97539429, jo.kramer-johansen@medisin.uio.no
Visiting address: Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for prehospital akuttmedisin (NAKOS), Ullevål sykehus, Kirkeveien 166, Bygg 31, inng B, tredje etasje.
Postal address: Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for prehospital akuttmedisin (NAKOS), Oslo universitetssykehus HF, Postboks 4956 Nydalen, 0424 OSLO