Emergency Medical Services
Emergency medical services (EMS) is the evaluation and management of patients with acute traumatic and medical conditions in an environment outside the hospital. EMS is unique as it brings together public safety, acute patient care, and public health.
For EMS, every day can be an emergency. From a major accident on an interstate, to a cardiac arrest next door, to a natural disaster, having the right information on hand can make all the difference.
EMS providers respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery, and are the first responders on the scene. They assess the scene, treat and triage patients, perform initial disease surveillance, dispense/vaccinate prophylaxis, and in some cases perform HAZMAT duties.
During H1N1, many states implemented polices to allow EMS providers to give flu vaccines, recognizing that in some communities EMS is the only health provider. During both a public health emergency, or even day to day, EMS providers can extend the reach of the public health workforce in the community and health IT can help improve efficiencies and patient care in both of these use cases.
How are EMS Providers Using Health IT?
The National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) is the national system used to collect, store, and share EMS data from US states and territories and was developed with input from EMS stakeholders across the nation, including EMS agency users and health IT developers. The NEMSIS Version 3 dataset is comprised of a data dictionary, data exchange standard using XML, and business logic validation method using Schematron, and an automated exchange method using web-services. NEMSIS Version 3 is an HL7(r) and ANSI approved CDA standard and is capable of describing EMS from an operational, service delivery and patient care perspective.
Every day, EMS providers enter data into an electronic patient care record, the EMS equivalent to an electronic health record. The data collected includes individual patient information as well as operational, service delivery and quality data. In most cases, local EMS providers share an aggregated de-identified minimum NEMSIS data set with their state EMS agency who then shares a subset of this data at the national level which is collected and stored in a national NEMSIS database. Ultimately, the NEMSIS uniform dataset and national database can help local, state and national EMS partners address issues such as EMS performance and clinical interventions, strategic planning, and future requirements.
