Key Takeaways and Progress on Leveraging EMS in Overdose Response Among Five Learning Collaborative States.

The National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices, in partnership with the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO), supported five states-Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, Vermont, and Wisconsin-in developing and implementing action plans to expand the role of EMS to help prevent overdose events and support individuals with substance use disorders. States undertook initiatives such as pilot programs for EMS-initiated buprenorphine, development of statewide naloxone leave-behind programs, and changes to EMS protocols that enable agencies and clinicians to use evidence-informed best and promising practices that utilize harm reduction strategies and provide opportunities for linkages to treatment.

Evidence-Based Guidelines for Fatigue Risk Management in EMS: Formulating Research Questions and Selecting Outcomes.

Background: Greater than half of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel report work-related fatigue, yet there are no guidelines for the management of fatigue in EMS. A novel process has been established for evidence-based guideline (EBG) development germane to clinical EMS questions. This process has not yet been applied to operational EMS questions like fatigue risk management.