EMS Chapter 1

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to Emergency Medical Services.

Evidence-based techniques

Techniques or practices supported by scientific evidence of their safety and efficacy, rather than merely by supposition and tradition.

Medical direction

Oversight of the patient-care aspects of an EMS system by the Medical Director. Direction can be either off-line or on-line.

Medical Director

A physician who assumes ultimate responsibility for the patient-care aspects of the EMS system.

911 system

A system for telephone access to report emergencies. A dispatcher takes the information and alerts EMS or the fire or police department as needed.

Enhanced 911

Identifies the caller’s phone number and location automatically.

Off-line medical direction

Standing orders issued by the Medical Director that allow EMTs to give certain medications or perform certain procedures without speaking to the Medical Director or another physician.

On-line medical direction

Orders from the on-duty physician given directly to an EMT in the field by radio or telephone.

Patient outcomes

The long-term survival of patients.

Peer reviewed

Submitted to a professional journal and reviewed by several of the researcher’s peers.

Protocols

Lists of steps, such as assessments and interventions, to be taken in different situations. Protocols are developed by the Medical Director of an EMS system.

Quality improvement

A process of continual self-review with the purpose of identifying and correcting aspects of the system that require improvement.

Standing orders

Policies or protocols issued by a Medical Director that authorize EMTs and others to perform particular skills in certain situations.

Primary components of the Emergency Medical Services system

communication systems, trained personnel, medical direction, transportation, and facilities.

Special designations that hospitals may have

trauma centers (Level I, II, III, IV, or V), burn centers, stroke centers, or cardiac centers.

Specialty centers in your region

specialized cancer centers, pediatric hospitals

Four national levels of EMS training and certification

Emergency Medical Responder (EMR), Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT (AEMT), and Paramedic.

Roles and responsibilities of the EMT

patient assessment, basic life support skills (e.g., CPR, bleeding control), oxygen administration, splinting, and safe transport. EMTs also have responsibilities related to documentation and communication.

Desirable personal and physical attributes of the EMT

physical fitness, the ability to lift and carry patients, effective communication skills, empathy, emotional stability, and the ability to work well under pressure.

Definition of the term quality improvement

a process of continual self-review with the purpose of identifying and correcting aspects of the system that require improvement.

Difference between on-line and off-line medical direction

On-line medical direction involves direct orders from a physician to the EMT in the field (via phone or radio). Off-line medical direction involves standing orders or protocols that allow EMTs to perform certain tasks without direct physician contact.