A national model for developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based guidelines for prehospital care.

In 2007, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Committee on the Future of Emergency Care recommended that a multidisciplinary panel establish a model for developing evidence-based protocols for the treatment of emergency medical systems (EMS) patients. In response, the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) and the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) convened a panel of multidisciplinary experts to review current strategies for developing evidence-based guidelines (EBGs) and to propose a model for developing such guidelines for the prehospital milieu. This paper describes the eight-step model endorsed by FICEMS, NEMSAC, and a panel of EMS and evidence-based medicine experts.

National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS).

The absence of emergency medical services (EMS) patient care data has hindered development and evaluation of EMS systems. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in cooperation with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), has provided funding to the National Association of State EMS Directors to develop a National EMS Information System (NEMSIS). NEMSIS is being designed to provide a uniform national EMS dataset, with standard terms, definitions, and values, as well as a national EMS database, with aggregated data from all states on a limited number of data elements.

Increasing employee awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and the need to use 911 in a State Health Department.

Introduction: Early recognition of the signs and symptoms of a heart attack can lead to reduced morbidity and mortality.

Methods: A workplace intervention was conducted among 523 Montana state health department employees in 2003 to increase awareness of the signs and symptoms of heart attack and the need to use 911. All employees received an Act in Time to Heart Attack Signs brochure and wallet card with their paychecks.

A randomized, prospective, multisite comparison of pediatric prehospital training methods.

Objective: Results of prehospital pediatric continuing education using train-the-trainer and CD-ROM training methods were compared to each other and to a control group. The null hypothesis was that no differences would be found in pretraining and posttraining measurements of knowledge and performance by either training method.

Methods: This was a prospective trial involving 12 sites.

Assessment of nationally registered emergency medical technician certification training in the United States: the LEADS Project. Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Attributes Demo-graphic Study.

Objectives: To describe the adequacy and characteristics of emergency medical services education as assessed by a population-based sample of emergency medical technician (EMT)-basics and EMT-paramedics from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.

Methods: Stratified random samples of EMT-basics and EMT-paramedics from the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians were mailed a 46-item demographic survey and a 16-question education survey in 1999.

Results: Overall, EMT-basics and EMT-paramedics reported that course cost and distance to the course were not barriers.

Emergency medical services information systems and a future EMS national database.

Since the early 1970s, various publications and legislation have contributed to the development of emergency medical services (EMS) information systems and databases. Yet, even today, EMS systems vary in their ability to collect patient and systems data and to put these data to use. In addition, no means currently exists to easily link disparate EMS databases to allow analysis at local, state, and national levels.