EMS: Where’s the Evidence?
EMS providers choose this profession because we want to help people. We are careful to follow established protocols because we want to make sure our actions improve the condition of our patients. But can we really prove that EMS makes a difference? Is there objective evidence that clearly shows that our practice is based on solid data?
Filling in the Gaps - EMS and Evidence-Based Experts Meet
On September 4-5, 2008, national EMS experts, along with international experts in evidence-based medicine, met at the From Evidence to EMS Practice: Building the National Model conference in Washington, DC. Their goal was to begin to establish a national and consensus-based process to remedy the lack of evidence-based guidelines for EMS care.
Recommendations
Co-sponsored by the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS and the National EMS Advisory Council, the two-day conference provided a forum for a panel of experts to deliver PowerPoint presentations, which included their ideas and recommendations for deciding how such a process will:
- Be organized, operated, and sustained
- Evaluate scientific evidence and develop guidelines
- Translate evidence-based guidelines to field practice
- Ensure an ongoing method of reviewing and revising the guidelines
- Integrate with other national EMS system development strategies such as the National EMS Education Agenda (e.g., National EMS Scope of Practice Model, National EMS Education Standards), National EMS Research Agenda, National EMS Information System, National EMS Quality Improvement/Performance strategies, and others.
Where Do We Go from Here?
The steering committee for this project will meet in December to synthesize the input from the conference and to a draft a proposal for a process to develop EMS evidence-based guidelines. The proposal will be reviewed by FICEMS and NEMSAC and then will be open for public comment.
The Promise of Evidence-Based Guidelines
EMS providers at every level have always been dedicated to improving the condition of our patients. It’s time to introduce practice and protocols that are rooted in solid scientific evidence. With evidence-based guidelines in place, we will be able to provide better care to our patients — and prove the worth of EMS as an efficient system for delivering effective emergency medical care.
Conference PowerPoint Presentations
