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Stroke & neuro
Decision support eases stroke triage load
Impact of a Decision-Support Interface on Mental Workload and Stress in Prehospital Stroke Triage: A Randomized Crossover Trial
The Western Journal of Emergency Medicine · 2026-09-05 · Added 22 October 2026
In a randomised crossover simulation trial, 35 Taiwanese emergency medical technicians using a stroke triage decision-support interface showed reduced mental workload (RMSSD up 4.3 ms, heart rate down, NASA-TLX lower) versus dispatch orders alone.
- Study type
- Simulation
- Design
- Randomised crossover simulation trial
- Participants
- 35 EMT-intermediate participants, two 12-minute simulated trials each
- Main finding
- RMSSD rose from 28.1 to 32.4 ms (mean difference 4.3 ms, 95% CI 1.57–6.99) and mean heart rate fell with decision support, indicating lower mental workload
- Caveat
- Short simulations with 35 junior clinicians and no patient or triage-accuracy outcomes
- Bottom line
- Context only
Why it matters in Australia (Medium relevance). Stroke destination decisions under time pressure are universal, and clinician cognitive load is a growing design question for Australian ePCR and triage tools, though this was a simulation in a different system.
Learning goal
Weigh how decision-support tools affect my cognitive load during stroke triage in the field.
More
- Topic: Stroke & neuro
- Daily scan: 22 October 2026
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