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The National
EMS Research Agenda, A Call for Action… The following passage is a portion of
The National EMS Research Agenda
commissioned by the US Department of Transportation. “The National EMS Research Agenda
describes the history and current status of EMS research. The [Agenda] describes a culture of EMS
that has been slow to respond to, recognize, and utilize the potential that
exists in technology and science today.
Despite more than 30 years of dedicated service…the nation's EMS
system is treating victims of illness and injury with little or no evidence
that the care they provide is optimal. The time for major advancement in the
science and practice of EMS is here.
Emergency Medical Service providers must be able to deliver state of
the art care based on sound scientific knowledge. [However], the problem of translating
research into practice is especially difficult in EMS. Most EMS professionals are not trained to
critically evaluate new treatments and so they do not possess the skills to
decide whether evidence truly supports their use. Therefore, EMS agencies should employ
physicians with the expertise to evaluate new treatments and with the ability
to develop and improve patient care protocols based on scientific
findings. These physicians should work
to educate EMS providers about the scientific process of linking research
findings to clinical care. This relationship will provide an environment in
which EMS personnel will be able to adopt new protocols with an understanding
of how decisions were made. The culture within EMS needs to change to promote
research and demand evidence before implementing new system modifications,
medications, or drug therapies. The absence of funding for major EMS
research represents a huge obstacle to improving the health of the
public. Researchers cannot perform
research without financial support. Most research accomplished to date within
EMS has been conducted on shoestring budgets using volunteer labor, surplus
supplies, and in-kind contributions from hospitals, medical schools, and EMS
agencies. Despite the lack of a
concerted and focused effort, the advances in EMS that have occurred
historically are remarkable. However,
failing to intentionally plan for and fund EMS research will likely delay
discoveries that have the potential to save untold numbers of lives. A national investment in the EMS research
infrastructure is necessary to overcome obstacles currently impeding the
accumulation of essential evidence of the effectiveness of EMS practice.
Funding is required to train new researchers and to help them establish their
careers. Research is the key to maintaining
focus on improving the overall health of the community in a competitive and
cost conscious health care market.
Most importantly, research is essential to ensure that the best
possible patient care is provided in the prehospital setting. [Therefore], we are seeking support for
elevating the science of EMS and prehospital care to the next level. It is essential that we examine innovative
ways to deliver prehospital care.
Strategies to protect the safety of both the patient and the public
safety worker must be devised and tested. There are many questions that remain
to be asked, many practices to be evaluated, and many procedures to be
improved. Research is the key to
obtaining the answers. A number of us,
our families, or our friends will at some point turn to local EMS providers
for assistance; and we expect that they will provide us with the best care
possible.” The National Research Consortium
for Emergency Medical Services, founded by NIEMS, was conceived as a
response to the above “call for action” by the National Highway Traffic and
Safety Administration (NHTSA). The
entire NHTSA research agenda document may be found at the following web
sites. http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/ems/agenda/tools2.html
© 2001-2011 NIEMS |
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