How will county-level CARES data be used?

Each county participating in RACE-CARS was asked to allow the RACE-CARS coordinating center to access their county-level data for the duration of the trial. These data will be used to serve 4 basic objectives:

Customization of Intervention

1. We will initially use the CARES data to help EMS agencies determine the best interventions to apply based on its historical benchmarked performance for each planned intervention.
2. Primary Data Collection for the Trial - We will be using the Cardiac Arrest and Dispatch Modules of the CARES registry as our primary data collection tool. Each patient will be considered “enrolled” in the trial at the time of the cardiac arrest. Data collection for the trial will include all CARES data elements from each module from the standard data collection forms.

Feedback and Intervention

1. The RACE-CARS team will work with each intervention county to set achievable goals for the 4 components of the intervention. The RACE-CARS coordinating center will then provide regular feedback to counties on target performance versus observed performance.

Primary Contact for Long-Term Follow-up

1. EMS agencies will send letter to survivors making them aware of the long-term follow-up study and providing contact information to opt out. Survivors who do not opt out of the study will be contacted by DCRI call center at 3-month follow-up interval to explain the study, obtain verbal informed consent, and then conduct quality of life and functional status surveys.