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Optimizing Routine and Disaster Prehospital Care Through Improved Emergency Medical Services Oversight

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2020

Mahshid Abir ,
Jane Forman ,
Rekar K. Taymour ,
Christina Brent ,
Brahmajee K. Nallamothu ,
Jaqueline Scott  and
Kathy Wahl
Mahshid Abir*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Acute Care Research Unit, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
Jane Forman
Affiliation:
Acute Care Research Unit, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI
Rekar K. Taymour
Affiliation:
MMS Holdings, Canton, MI
Christina Brent
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Acute Care Research Unit, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Brahmajee K. Nallamothu
Affiliation:
Acute Care Research Unit, Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and the Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Integrated Center for Health Analytics & Medical Prediction (MiCHAMP), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Jaqueline Scott
Affiliation:
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI
Kathy Wahl
Affiliation:
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lansing, MI
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Mahshid Abir, 2800 Plymouth Rd., North Campus Research Complex 014-G226, Ann Arbor, MI48109 (e-mail: mahshida@med.umich.edu).
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Abstract

Objective:

To identify modifiers of emergency medical services (EMS) oversight quality, including facilitators and barriers, and inform best practices and policy related to EMS oversight and system performance.

Methods:

We used a qualitative design, including 4 focus groups and 10 in-depth, 1-on-1 interviews. Primary data were collected from EMS stakeholders in Michigan from June to July 2016. Qualitative data were analyzed using the rapid assessment technique.

Results:

Emergent themes included organizational structure, oversight and stakeholder leadership, interorganizational communication and relationships, competition or collaboration among MCA stakeholders, quality improvement practices, resources, and needs specific to rural communities.

Conclusions:

EMS is a critical component of disaster response. This study revealed salient themes and modifiers, including facilitators and barriers, of EMS oversight quality. These findings were evaluated in the context of current evidence and informed state policy to improve the quality of EMS oversight and prehospital care for both routine and disaster settings. Some were particular to geographic regions and communities, whereas others were generalizable.

Keywords

disaster responseemergency medical servicesprehospital carequality improvement
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 15 , Issue 5 , October 2021 , pp. 595 - 607
Copyright
© 2020 Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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