Chapter 1 - EMS Systems and Public Health

AEMT

traning in specific aspects of ALS such as IV and certain emergency medications

ALS

advanced lifesaving procedures, IV, advanced airway management, and medications administration

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

design to protect people with disabilities against discrimination

automated external defibrillators (AEDS)

detect treatable life threatening cardiac dysrhythmias and deliver the appropriate electrical shock to the patient

BLS

noninvasive emergency lifesaving care that is used to treat medical conditions including, airway obstruction, respiratory arrest, and cardiac arrest

certification

conducted evaluation and recognition as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care

credentialing

established process to determine the qualifications needed to perform a particular skill/role

emergency medical responder (EMR)

police officer, firefighter, lifeguard, or other rescuer who arrives first at the scene of an emergency

EMS

system to provide out of hospital care to the sicka nd injured within communities

EMT

individual who has training for BLS including automated external defibrillation, use of an airway adjunct and assisting patients with certain medications

evidence based medicine (EBM)

approach to medicine where decisions are based on well conducted research that is integrated with the expertise of the EMS clinician and patient’s wishes and needs

health equity

the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically, or geographically

just culture

an approach to quality management that strives to balance accountability and justice in a system that believes in learning from errors

licensure

process where a competent authority allows people to a perform regulated act

medical director

physician who authorizes or delegates to the EMT the authority to provide medical care in the field

medical oversight

supervision of an EMS system or education program that includes instructions given directly by radio/cell phone to those on scene or indirectly by protocol/guidelines

mobile integrated healthcare (MIH)

method of delivering health care that involves providing health care within the community rather than at a physician’s office or hospital

National EMS Education Standards

set of professional standards published by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that define the knowledge and competencies that students should acquire to perfom at entry level as an EMS clinician

National EMS Information System (NEMSIS)

system funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that is responbiel for developing and maintaining the national EMS data standard

National EMS Scope of Practice Model

document that outlines the minimum entry level skills performed by EMS clinicians at each nationally recognized level

paramedic

extensive training in ALS including endotracheal intubation, emergency pharmacology, cardiac monitoring, and other advanced treatment

primary prevention

efforts to prevent an injury or illness from ever occurring

public health

branch of medicine that is focused on examining the health needs of entire populations with the goal of preventing health problems

public safety access point (PSAP)

call center responsible for managing requests for police, fire, and ambulance services

quality assurance (QA)

reactive process that involves monitoring compliance against a standard to identify problems that have already occurred

quality improvement (QI)

process that involves making changes to a system to improve performance

secondary prevention

efforts to limit the effects of an injury or illness that has already occurred

social drivers of health

conditions in which people live, including the forces and systems shaping their daily lives