Chapter 1: EMS Systems and Public Health

Flashcards covering vocabulary, historical milestones, and organizational terminology from Chapter 1 regarding EMS Systems and Public Health.

Emergency medical services (EMS)

A team of health care professionals who provide emergency care and transportation for the sick and injured.

National Standard Curriculum (NSC)

The guideline for EMT training developed and published by the DOT in $1971$.

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)

The level of EMS training that provides skills for initiating immediate care and bridging the gap before higher-level medical resources arrive.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

The EMS clinician level possessing the knowledge and skills to provide basic emergency care and assume responsibility for patient assessment, care, and transport.

Advanced emergency medical technicians (AEMT)

The EMS clinician level that adds knowledge and skills in IV therapy, advanced airway adjuncts, and administration of a limited number of medications.

Paramedic

The most extensive level of EMS training, focused on both BLS and ALS assessments, emergency pharmacology, and invasive airway management.

National EMS-ID

A $12$-digit identification number issued to all EMS professionals and students that remains tied to the individual throughout their career.

Licensure

The process by which states ensure applicant competency in an examination setting and manage who can function as a health care clinician.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of $1990$

Federal legislation that protects people with disabilities from being denied access to programs or employment.

Credentialing

The determination, usually directed by a physician medical director, that authorizes a clinician to perform a specific skill or role.

Integrity

A professional attribute defined as adhering to a code of fair and honest behavior.

Empathy

A professional attribute defined as being aware of and thoughtful toward the needs of others.

Patient advocacy

The responsibility of constantly keeping the needs of the patient at the center of care.

Public safety access point (PSAP)

An emergency communication center, reachable by dialing $9-1-1$, that dispatches fire, police, rescue, and EMS units.

Standing orders

A component of medical protocols that designates what an EMT is allowed to do for a specific condition without consulting medical direction.

Online medical control

Direct physician directions given to EMS clinicians over the phone or radio.

Off-line medical control

Indirect medical oversight consisting of standing orders, training, and supervision.

Quality assurance (QA)

A reactive quality management process that monitors compliance against a standard and identifies problems after they occur.

Quality improvement (QI)

A proactive quality management process with the goal of making meaningful improvements in desired outcomes.

Just Culture

An approach to quality management that balances accountability and justice by learning from errors while holding employees accountable for behavioral choices.

Evidence-based medicine (EBM)

A healthcare approach focusing on procedures that have been proven useful in improving patient outcomes through research.

Social drivers of health

Non-health care factors, such as economic stability and education access, that influence a person’s overall health.

Health equity

The state in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to attain their highest level of health.

Mobile integrated health care (MIH)

A method of delivering health care within the community using the full spectrum of prehospital care resources and an integrated team.

Primary prevention

Public health strategies focused on preventing an event from ever happening, such as vaccinations.

Secondary prevention

Public health strategies focused on decreasing the negative effects of an event that has already occurred, such as airbags or bike helmets.