CPHEMS
CENTER FOR PREHOSPITAL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES
In Association with
Emergency Health Management Systems &
Aemstec Consultant & Technical Services Inc.
Saint Lucia - SINCE 2001
EMS Education Agenda for the Future
Emergency medical services (EMS) of the future will be community-based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify and modify illness and injury risks, provide acute illness and injury care and follow-up, and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This new entity will be developed from redistribution of existing health care resources and will be integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. It will improve community health and result in more appropriate use of acute health care resources. EMS will remain the public’s emergency medical safety net.
EMS Education Agenda for the Future
The EMS Education Agenda for the Future is a guide and standard developed to address EMS Education, Methods of Instruction, Scope of Practice etc relating to Emergency Medical Services which follows the United States Department of Transport (USDOT) National Standard Curriculum for Educating Emergency Medical Technicians. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) of the future will be community-based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify and modify illness and injury risks, provide acute illness and injury care and follow-up, and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This new entity will be developed from redistribution of existing health care resources and will be integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. It will improve community health and result in more appropriate use of acute health care resources. EMS will remain the public’s emergency medical safety net.
EMS Education Agenda for the Future Implementation Guide
The EMS Education Agenda for the Future is a guide and standard developed to address EMS Education, Methods of Instruction, Scope of Practice etc relating to Emergency Medical Services which follows the United States Department of Transport (USDOT) National Standard Curriculum for Educating Emergency Medical Technicians. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) of the future will be community-based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify and modify illness and injury risks, provide acute illness and injury care and follow-up, and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This new entity will be developed from redistribution of existing health care resources and will be integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. It will improve community health and result in more appropriate use of acute health care resources. EMS will remain the public’s emergency medical safety net.
Emergency Medical Services EMS Education Agenda For the Future A Systems Approach
The EMS Education Agenda for the Future is a guide and standard developed to address EMS Education, Methods of Instruction, Scope of Practice etc relating to Emergency Medical Services which follows the United States Department of Transport (USDOT) National Standard Curriculum for Educating Emergency Medical Technicians. Emergency medical services (EMS), as a profession, is now barely a generation old. All of us working in the EMS professions recognize the enormous debt of gratitude that we owe to our predecessors for the astounding progress that has been made during our professional lifetimes in all aspects of the field, including education. We now have the opportunity to honor their foresight, and build upon the solid foundation they created, by designing a structure for the EMS education system worthy of their dreams and aspirations for us, their successors. We owe it to them, ourselves, and our patients to carry on the work our predecessors began, in a way that extends their vision far into the next millennium. In 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published the highly regarded consensus document titled the EMS Agenda for the Future, commonly referred to as the Agenda. This was a federally funded position paper completed by the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) in conjunction with the National Association of State EMS Directors (NASEMSD). The intent of the Agenda was to create a common vision for the future of EMS. This document was designed for use by government and private organizations at the national, state, and local levels to help guide planning, decision making, and policy regarding EMS. The Agenda addressed 14 attributes of EMS, including the EMS education system. The Agenda provided the following overall vision for EMS in the future: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) of the future will be community-based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify and modify illness and injury risks, provide acute illness and injury care and follow-up, and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This new entity will be developed from redistribution of existing health care resources and will be integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. It will improve community health and result in a more appropriate use of acute health care resources. EMS will remain the public’s emergency medical safety net. The following vision of EMS education is paraphrased from the Agenda: EMS education in the year 2010 develops competence in the areas necessary for EMS providers to serve the health care needs of the population. Educational outcomes for EMS providers are congruent with the expectations of the health and public safety services that provide them. EMS education emphasizes the integration of EMS within the overall health care system. In addition to acute emergency care, all EMS educational programs teach illness and injury prevention, risk modification, the treatment of chronic conditions, as well as community and public health. EMS education is of high quality and represents the intersection of the EMS professional and the formal educational system. The content of the education is based on National EMS Education Standards. There is significant flexibility to adapt to local needs and develop creative instructional programs. Programs are encouraged to excel beyond minimum educational quality standards. EMS education is based on sound educational principles and is broadly recognized as an achievement worthy of formal academic credit. Basic level EMS education is available in a variety of traditional and non-traditional settings. Advanced level EMS education is sponsored by institutions of higher education, and most are available for college credit. Multiple entry options exist for advanced level education, including bridging from other occupations and from basic EMS levels for individuals with no previous medical or EMS experience. All levels of EMS education are available through a variety of distance learning and creative, alternative delivery formats. Educational quality is ensured through a system of accreditation. This system evaluates programs relative to standards and guidelines developed by the national communities of interest. Entry level competence is ensured by a combination of curricula standards, national accreditation, and national standard testing. Licensure is based upon the completion of an approved/accredited program and successful completion of the national exam. This enables career mobility and advancement and facilitates reciprocity and recognition for all levels. Interdisciplinary and bridging programs provide avenues for EMS providers to enhance their credentials or transition to other health career roles and for other health care professionals to acquire EMS field provider credentials. They facilitate adaption of the workforce as community health care needs, and the role of EMS, evolves. In December 1996, NHTSA convened an EMS Education Conference with representatives of more than 30 EMS-related organizations to identify the next logical Agenda implementation steps for the EMS community. The outcome of this meeting is broadly summarized by the following recommendations: • The National EMS Education and Practice Blueprint (the Blueprint) is a valuable component of the EMS education system. It should be revised by a multi disciplinary panel, led by NHTSA, to more explicitly identify core educational content for each provider level. • National EMS Education Standards are necessary, but need not include specific declarative material or lesson plans. NHTSA should support and facilitate the development of National EMS Education Standards. • The Blueprint and National EMS Education Standards should be revised periodically (major revision every 5 to 7 years, minor updates every 2 to 3 years). In January 1998, NHTSA formed a Blueprint Modeling Group to develop procedures for revising the Blueprint. During their initial deliberations, the group determined that the Blueprint should be only one component of a more comprehensive EMS education system of the future. Consequently, they changed their name to the EMS Education Task Force. They expanded their goal to include defining both the elements of the education system and the interrelationships necessary to achieve the vision of the Agenda. This document, the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach (Education Agenda), is the result of their deliberations.
Emergency Medical Services EMS Education Agenda For the Future A Systems Approach
The EMS Education Agenda for the Future is a guide and standard developed to address EMS Education, Methods of Instruction, Scope of Practice etc relating to Emergency Medical Services which follows the United States Department of Transport (USDOT) National Standard Curriculum for Educating Emergency Medical Technicians. Emergency medical services (EMS), as a profession, is now barely a generation old. All of us working in the EMS professions recognize the enormous debt of gratitude that we owe to our predecessors for the astounding progress that has been made during our professional lifetimes in all aspects of the field, including education. We now have the opportunity to honor their foresight, and build upon the solid foundation they created, by designing a structure for the EMS education system worthy of their dreams and aspirations for us, their successors. We owe it to them, ourselves, and our patients to carry on the work our predecessors began, in a way that extends their vision far into the next millennium. In 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) published the highly regarded consensus document titled the EMS Agenda for the Future, commonly referred to as the Agenda. This was a federally funded position paper completed by the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) in conjunction with the National Association of State EMS Directors (NASEMSD). The intent of the Agenda was to create a common vision for the future of EMS. This document was designed for use by government and private organizations at the national, state, and local levels to help guide planning, decision making, and policy regarding EMS. The Agenda addressed 14 attributes of EMS, including the EMS education system. The Agenda provided the following overall vision for EMS in the future: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) of the future will be community-based health management that is fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will have the ability to identify and modify illness and injury risks, provide acute illness and injury care and follow-up, and contribute to treatment of chronic conditions and community health monitoring. This new entity will be developed from redistribution of existing health care resources and will be integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. It will improve community health and result in a more appropriate use of acute health care resources. EMS will remain the public’s emergency medical safety net. The following vision of EMS education is paraphrased from the Agenda: EMS education in the year 2010 develops competence in the areas necessary for EMS providers to serve the health care needs of the population. Educational outcomes for EMS providers are congruent with the expectations of the health and public safety services that provide them. EMS education emphasizes the integration of EMS within the overall health care system. In addition to acute emergency care, all EMS educational programs teach illness and injury prevention, risk modification, the treatment of chronic conditions, as well as community and public health. EMS education is of high quality and represents the intersection of the EMS professional and the formal educational system. The content of the education is based on National EMS Education Standards. There is significant flexibility to adapt to local needs and develop creative instructional programs. Programs are encouraged to excel beyond minimum educational quality standards. EMS education is based on sound educational principles and is broadly recognized as an achievement worthy of formal academic credit. Basic level EMS education is available in a variety of traditional and non-traditional settings. Advanced level EMS education is sponsored by institutions of higher education, and most are available for college credit. Multiple entry options exist for advanced level education, including bridging from other occupations and from basic EMS levels for individuals with no previous medical or EMS experience. All levels of EMS education are available through a variety of distance learning and creative, alternative delivery formats. Educational quality is ensured through a system of accreditation. This system evaluates programs relative to standards and guidelines developed by the national communities of interest. Entry level competence is ensured by a combination of curricula standards, national accreditation, and national standard testing. Licensure is based upon the completion of an approved/accredited program and successful completion of the national exam. This enables career mobility and advancement and facilitates reciprocity and recognition for all levels. Interdisciplinary and bridging programs provide avenues for EMS providers to enhance their credentials or transition to other health career roles and for other health care professionals to acquire EMS field provider credentials. They facilitate adaption of the workforce as community health care needs, and the role of EMS, evolves. In December 1996, NHTSA convened an EMS Education Conference with representatives of more than 30 EMS-related organizations to identify the next logical Agenda implementation steps for the EMS community. The outcome of this meeting is broadly summarized by the following recommendations: • The National EMS Education and Practice Blueprint (the Blueprint) is a valuable component of the EMS education system. It should be revised by a multi disciplinary panel, led by NHTSA, to more explicitly identify core educational content for each provider level. • National EMS Education Standards are necessary, but need not include specific declarative material or lesson plans. NHTSA should support and facilitate the development of National EMS Education Standards. • The Blueprint and National EMS Education Standards should be revised periodically (major revision every 5 to 7 years, minor updates every 2 to 3 years). In January 1998, NHTSA formed a Blueprint Modeling Group to develop procedures for revising the Blueprint. During their initial deliberations, the group determined that the Blueprint should be only one component of a more comprehensive EMS education system of the future. Consequently, they changed their name to the EMS Education Task Force. They expanded their goal to include defining both the elements of the education system and the interrelationships necessary to achieve the vision of the Agenda. This document, the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach (Education Agenda), is the result of their deliberations.