Zain Hashmi, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, has been named as a recipient for the 2024 Stepping Strong Innovator Award.
Hashmi receives this award along with his co-researcher, Carlos Camargo, M.D., a professor of Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Hashmi and Camargo will receive $100,000 for their research project, National Study to Characterize Telehealth Use for Trauma Care in U.S. Emergency Departments, on July 1 from the Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
This upcoming project is a continuation in Hashmi’s research interests in the use of telemedicine for trauma care – also known as “teletrauma.” Teletrauma is a way to reach a critical gap in trauma care: 30 million mostly rural patients cannot access a U.S. trauma center in a timely matter. Telemedicine, already shown to be impactful in other medical fields, can allow for trained experts in trauma care to consult with doctors at rural hospitals, providing consultations and preventing unnecessary and costly transfers.
Last September, Hashmi published an article in JAMA Surgery making the case for teletrauma. Now, he seeks to find out how teletrauma is already being practically used in about 380 emergency departments nationwide – and how beneficial more implementation can be. He and Camargo’s project will answer the following questions: Are emergency departments that use teletrauma located in regions without timely access to trauma centers? How are emergency departments using teletrauma in their clinical practice to care for injured patients?
“This award will allow us to advance our knowledge of using telehealth to provide trauma care in rural communities,” Hashmi said, adding that he plans to begin teletrauma efforts in Alabama while simultaneously leading this research.
About the award
The goal of the Stepping Strong Innovator Award program is to inspire faculty to pursue “groundbreaking innovation with a goal of transforming outcomes for civilians and military heroes worldwide.” The award supports research in prevention of traumatic injury and the improvement of treatment, care, and recovery after traumatic injury. The Gillian Reny Stepping Strong Center for Trauma Innovation began as a fund started in 2014 by Gillian Reny, a Boston Marathon Bombing survivor. The center officially opened in 2017.
Learn more about Dr. Hashmi's work in teletrauma
UAB News: UAB trauma surgeon makes the case for how teletrauma can help rural trauma patients
UAB MedCast: Using Telehealth to Improve Access to Trauma Care Among Injured Rural Patients in the U.S.