NCJ Number
193686
Date Published
1999
Length
120 pages
Annotation
This implementation guide designed for emergency medical services (EMS) organizations, agencies, and individuals and all those with a potential interest or influence on the structure and function for providing emergency medical services presents a vision for the future of EMS in the United States and purposes goals for the future and suggestions on how to get there.
Abstract
The proposed vision of the future for emergency medical services (EMS) is seen as community-based health management, fully integrated with the overall health care system. It will be developed from the redistribution of existing health care resources and integrated with other health care providers and public health and public safety agencies. There will be a more appropriate use of acute health care and EMS will continue as the public’s emergency medical safety net. This implementation guide presents the EMS’ vision for the future and focuses on three strategies for realizing this vision with several national, State, and local actions and corresponding objectives: (1) building bridges between EMS and other components of the community health care system; (2) the need to develop new tools and resources to enable progress and facilitate widespread activities; and (3) the creation of an infrastructure that would support streamlined public access and speed up delivery of emergency care. In addition, the guide proposes 10 priority objectives (short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term) that would be the initial focus for all potential participants. The guide is a call for action to join partnerships leading to the exploration of possibilities for the future of EMS. Appendices include a list of abbreviations, index of participants, EMS agenda for the future and a summary of recommendations, implementation guide development, steering committee, steering committee guest speakers, and a glossary.