Achieving Equity in EMS Care and Patient Outcomes Through Quality Management Systems: A Position Statement.

Improving health and safety in our communities requires deliberate focus and commitment to equity. Inequities are differences in access, treatment, and outcomes between individuals and across populations that are systemic, avoidable, and unjust. Within health care in general, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in particular, there are demonstrated inequities in the quality of care provided to patients based on a number of characteristics linked to discrimination, exclusion, or bias. Given the critical role that EMS plays within the health care system, it is imperative that EMS systems reduce inequities by delivering evidence-based, high-quality care for the communities and patients we serve. To achieve equity in EMS care delivery and patient outcomes, the National Association of EMS Physicians recommends that EMS systems and agencies: make health equity a strategic priority and commit to improving equity at all levels.assess and monitor clinical and safety quality measures through the lens of inequities as an integrated part of the quality management process.ensure that data elements are structured to enable equity analysis at every level and routinely evaluate data for limitations hindering equity analysis and improvement.involve patients and community stakeholders in determining data ownership and stewardship to ensure its ongoing evolution and fitness for use for measuring care inequities.address biases as they translate into the quality of care and standards of respect for patients.pursue equity through a framework rooted in the principles of improvement science.

*SMARTSIM* A multicenter prospective randomized trial of 3D virtual reality versus traditional patient simulation.

Objective: Simulations are an integral part of paramedic education. Technological advancements have introduced three-dimensional virtual reality patient simulations (3DVRS), offering a low-cost, accessible alternative. This study compares the impact of 3DVRS and traditional simulation on paramedic students. Methods: Students selected from a convenience sample of 11 cohorts in 10 accredited programs distributed across the United States were allocated to 2 groups using a stratified random sampling. One group received simulations via 3DVRS, the second used traditional in-person simulation. Students were exposed to 6 scenarios over 2 h from the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) Advanced Medical Life Support (AMLS) program. Altered mental status scenarios were selected a priori by the research team containing approximately 30 potential differential diagnoses. A 50-item posttest was administered using validated cognitive items provided by Fisdap. Results: A multicenter prospective randomized trial of 174 paramedic students was undertaken from April until August of 2022. The traditional simulation group was comprised of 88 students and the 3DVRS group had 86 students. A Mann-Whitney U test (U = 4064.5, n 1 = 88, n 2 = 86, p = 0.396) detected no statistical difference between two distributions or median exam score (70%), the range of values and interquartile range (IQR) for both groups: TS IQR = 64-75 (range, 32-82); 3DVRS IQR = 64-76 (range, 34-86). Conclusion: No difference in exam scores using 3DVRS versus traditional simulation was detected. Paramedic programs may have an effective new option when incorporating simulation with 3DVRS, potentially reducing financial and real-estate resources required with in-person simulations. Larger studies are needed to truly evaluate the impact and usability of virtual reality on paramedic education.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the United States Emergency Medical Services Workforce: A Scoping Review.

OBJECTIVE: Emergency medical services (EMS) workforce demographics in the United States do not reflect the diversity of the population served. Despite some efforts by professional organizations to create a more representative workforce, little has changed in the last decade. This scoping review aims to summarize existing literature on the demographic composition, recruitment, retention, and workplace experience of underrepresented groups within EMS. METHODS: Peer-reviewed studies were obtained from a search of PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, ProQuest Thesis and Dissertations, and non-peer-reviewed ("gray") literature from 1960 to present. Abstracts and included full-text articles were screened by two independent reviewers trained on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Studies were included if they pertained to the demographics, training, hiring, retention, promotion, compensation, or workplace experience of underrepresented groups in United States EMS by race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender. Studies of non-EMS fire department activities were excluded. Disputes were resolved by two authors. A single reviewer screened the gray literature. Data extraction was performed using a standardized electronic form. Results were summarized qualitatively. RESULTS: We identified 87 relevant full-text articles from the peer-reviewed literature and 250 items of gray literature. Primary themes emerging from peer-reviewed literature included workplace experience (n = 48), demographics (n = 12), workforce entry and exit (n = 8), education and testing (n = 7), compensation and benefits (n = 5), and leadership, mentorship, and promotion (n = 4). Most articles focused on sex/gender comparisons (65/87, 75%), followed by race/ethnicity comparisons (42/87, 48%). Few articles examined sexual orientation (3/87, 3%). One study focused on telecommunicators and three included EMS physicians. Most studies (n = 60, 69%) were published in the last decade. In the gray literature, media articles (216/250, 86%) demonstrated significant industry discourse surrounding these primary themes. CONCLUSIONS: Existing EMS workforce research demonstrates continued underrepresentation of women and nonwhite personnel. Additionally, these studies raise concerns for pervasive negative workplace experiences including sexual harassment and factors that negatively affect recruitment and retention, including bias in candidate testing, a gender pay gap, and unequal promotion opportunities. Additional research is needed to elucidate recruitment and retention program efficacy, the demographic composition of EMS leadership, and the prevalence of racial harassment and discrimination in this workforce.

Adverse events following emergent prehospital sedation of patients with behavioral emergencies: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Patients presenting to emergency medical services (EMS) with behavioral emergencies may require emergent sedation to facilitate care, but concerns about sedation-related adverse events (AEs) exist. This study aimed to describe the frequency of AEs following emergent prehospital sedation with three types of sedative agents: ketamine, benzodiazepines and antipsychotics. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients ≥ 15 years who presented to 1031U.S. EMS agencies in calendar year 2019 with behavioral emergencies necessitating emergent prehospital sedation. Serious AEs (SAE) included cardiac arrest, invasive airway placement, and severe oxygen desaturation (<75%). Less-serious AEs included positive pressure ventilation, any oxygen desaturation (<90%), oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal airway placement, and suctioning. The need for additional sedation was also assessed. Findings: Of 7973 patients, 1996 received ketamine; 4137 received a benzodiazepine; 1532 received an antipsychotic agent; and 308 received an indeterminant agent. Cardiac arrest occurred in 11 patients (0·1%) and any SAE occurred in 165 patients (2·1%). Invasive airway placement was more frequent with ketamine (40, 2·0%) compared with benzodiazepines (17, 0·4%) or antipsychotics (3, 0·2%). Oxygen desaturation below 75% also occurred more frequently with ketamine (51, 2·6%) than with benzodiazepines (52, 1·3%) or antipsychotics (14, 0·9%). Patients sedated with ketamine were less likely to require additional sedation. Propensity-matching to minimize potential confounding between patient condition, sedative choice and AEs did not meaningfully alter the results. Interpretation: Although SAEs were rare among patients receiving emergent prehospital sedation, prehospital clinicians should remain mindful of the potential risks and monitor patients closely. Funding: None.

Implementation of a mechanical chest compression device as standard equipment in a large metropolitan ambulance service.

BACKGROUND: We will describe the implementation of the LUCAS™1 chest compression device as standard equipment in the treatment of cardiac arrest across a large ambulance service and provide descriptive data on device-treated arrests and provider experience during the initial 2 years of use. METHODS: Provider training and deployment of 38 devices occurred in our 70-vehicle, 400-provider ambulance service within 3 months. A retrospective case series of device-eligible out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occurring between May 2008 and June 2010 was analyzed. Clinical data were extracted from an electronic prehospital patient care record and information on provider experience with the device was collected via online survey. RESULTS: LUCAS™1 was used in 79% of resuscitation attempts (498 of 631). Primary reasons for nonuse were resuscitation of limited duration and extreme body size. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) was documented in 35% and 41% of device- and non-device-treated arrests, respectively (p = 0.31), but among arrests where time from arrival at patient to discontinuation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation was >5 min, the rates were 26% and 24%, respectively (p = 0.78). CONCLUSIONS: A large ambulance service in the United States initiated standard use of a mechanical compression device within 3 months. In an applied setting, the LUCAS™1 device fits most patients and was well received by prehospital providers. Resuscitation of limited duration due to early death or early ROSC frequently precludes device use, and this has important implications for evaluating the association between device use and ROSC in observational settings.

Use of an impedance threshold device to treat severe hypotension in a pregnant woman: case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Impedance threshold device technology harnesses the patient's normal physiological mechanisms to increase circulation during hypotensive crises. We report the first clinical use of one version of this device on a spontaneously breathing hypotensive pregnant woman. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to report this case to help Emergency Medical Service rescue personnel to noninvasively treat hypotensive but conscious spontaneously breathing patients. CASE REPORT: A 28-year-old woman who was 21 weeks pregnant developed frank syncope at home but recovered spontaneously. When Emergency Medical Service paramedics arrived, her initial blood pressure and heart rate were 115/80 mm Hg and 125 beats/min, respectively. She suddenly complained of feeling anxious and developed profound bradycardia and hypotension, followed by 20 s of asystole. An impedance threshold device (ResQGARD™) with -7 cmH2O resistance to inspiration was rapidly applied using a facemask. After four spontaneous breaths, blood pressure increased from 62/40 mm Hg to 106/66 mm Hg. She was hemodynamically stable thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: In this case report, the multiple physiological effects of inspiration through -7 cmH2O resistance helped this pregnant hypotensive patient to rapidly and noninvasively restore adequate perfusion and reduced the duration of her hypotensive episode. To our knowledge, this is the first report of this technology in a pregnant hypotensive but spontaneously breathing patient.

Paramedic student adherence to the National Standard Curriculum recommendations.

OBJECTIVES: The National Standard Curriculum-Paramedic (NSC-P) is the accepted curriculum for paramedic programs across the country. The purpose of this study was to examine the completion of the NSC-P clinical internship recommendations by paramedic students. METHODS: Paramedic student internship experience data from 2001 to 2005 was retrospectively reviewed from FISDAPtrade mark. Student records that met the following inclusion criteria were analyzed: 1) student provided consent for research, 2) data verified by a preceptor, and 3) student successfully graduated from their paramedic program. The data were descriptively evaluated to determine the number of students who completed 100% of the NSC-P recommendations, to determine what percentage of students were completing each category, and to determine the average number of tasks completed by students for each recommendation. RESULTS: Of the 1,817 student records that met the inclusion criteria, 140 (7.7%) completed 100% of the NSC-P recommended goals in each category. Students met or exceeded the recommended number of tasks most often for 15 medication administrations (92%), 25 successful IV accesses (88%), 30 geriatric assessments (63.7%), 5 live endotracheal intubations (63.5%), and 50 adult assessments (63.2%). A majority of PS are completing less than 50% of the NCS-P recommendations for 20 ventilations on an un-intubated patient, 20 psychiatric patient assessments, 8 pediatric respiratory distress assessments, and 10 obstetric patient assessments. CONCLUSION: A vast majority of paramedic students are not completing all of the NSC-P recommendations. The reasons for this shortcoming are likely multifaceted and require further research.