Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T17:41:47.716Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Correlates of Perceived Care Comfort with an EMS Professional Having a Legal Conviction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2012

Gary Blau  and
Gregory Gibson
Gary Blau*
Affiliation:
Temple University, Human Resource Management, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Gregory Gibson
Affiliation:
Survey Research Lab, Department of Sociology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio USA
*
Correspondence: Gary Blau, PhD Temple University – FSBM HRM Department – Alter #349 1801 Liacouras Walk Philadelphia, PA, 19122 E-mail gblau@temple.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives

The first objective was to examine the outcome of how comfortable a potential EMS-caller would be receiving care from an out-of-hospital-care EMS professional who might have a legal conviction. A second objective was to test for correlates that would explain this outcome.

Methods

In the autumn of 2010, a structured phone survey was conducted. To maximize geographical representation across the contiguous United States, a clustered, stratified sampling strategy was used based upon US Postal Service zip codes.

Results

Of the 2,443 phone calls made, 1,051 (43%) full survey responses were obtained. Data cleaning efforts reduced the total to 929 in the final model regression analysis. Results revealed significant public discomfort in receiving care from EMS professionals who may have such a conviction. In addition, respondents who are less educated and older more strongly (1) agree that EMS professionals should have their licenses revoked for wrongdoing; (2) agree EMS professionals should be screened before being hired; (3) perceive EMS credentials to be important; (4) support a lawsuit for improper care; and (5) are collectively less comfortable with being cared for by an EMS professional who may have a legal conviction. Reliable scales were found for future research use.

Conclusion

There is significant public discomfort in receiving care from EMS professionals who may have a legal conviction. The results of this study provide increased impetus for the careful screening of EMS professionals before they are hired or allowed to be volunteers. Beyond this due diligence, the results serve as a reminder for increased EMS provider awareness of the importance of exhibiting professionalism when dealing with the public.

Blau G, Gibson G. Correlates of perceived care comfort with an EMS professional having a legal conviction. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(4):1-6.

Keywords

convictionemergency medical servicesEMSlegalpublic perception
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , August 2012 , pp. 345 - 350
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010). Emergency medical technicians and paramedics: nature of the work. US Bureau of Labor Statistics Web site. www.bls.gov/oco/ocos101.htm#nature. Accessed June 6, 2011.Google Scholar
2. Pirrallo, RG, Levine, R, Dickison, PD. Behavioral health risk factors of United States Emergency Medical Technicians: the LEADS project. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;20(4):235-242.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3. Studnek, JR, Fernandez, AR. Characteristics of Emergency Medical Technicians involved in ambulance crashes. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2008;23(5):432-437.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4. Koritsas, S, Boyle, M, Cole, J. Factors associated with workplace violence in Paramedics. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2009;24(5):417-421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. Smith-Cumberland, T, Feldman, R. Survey of EMTs’ attitudes towards death. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;20(3):184-188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Fernandez, AR, Studnek, JR, Margolis, GS, Crawford, JM, Bentley, MA, Marcozzi, D. Disaster preparedness of nationally certified emergency medical services professionals. Acad Emerg Med. 2011;18(4):403-412.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7. Graff, L, Stevens, C, Spaite, D, Foody, J. Measuring and improving quality in emergency Medicine. Acad Emerg Med. 2002;9(11):1091-1107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8. Fairbanks, RJ, Crittenden, CN, O'Gara, KG, et al. . Emergency medical services provider perceptions of the nature of adverse events and near misses in out-of-hospital care: an ethnographic view. Acad Emerg Med. 2008;15(7):633-640.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9. Kelly, JJ, Thallner, E, Broida, RI, et al. . Emergency medicine quality improvement and patient safety curriculum. Acad Emerg Med. 2010;17(s2):e110-e128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10. Brown, WE, Margolis, G, Levine, R. Peer evaluations of the professional behaviors of Emergency Medical Technicians. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2005;20(2):107-114.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11. Yorker, B, Kizer, K, Lampe, P, Forrest, A, Lannan, J, Russell, D. Serial murder by healthcare professionals. J of Forensic Sci. 2006;51(6):1362-1371.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12. Bucy P. Fraud by fright: white collar crime by health care providers. North Carolina Law Review. 1988-1989:1855-1938. http://HeinOnline.org. Accessed June 9, 2011.Google Scholar
13. Payne, B, Cikovic, R. An empirical examination of the characteristics, consequences, and causes of elder abuse in nursing homes. J of Elder Abuse & Neglect. 1996;7(4):61-74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Bradley, D, Moore, H. Preventing workplace violence from negligent hiring in healthcare. J Nurs Adm. 2004;34(3):157-161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15. Martanegara, V, Kleiner, B. Effective employment screening in the American health care industry. Manage Research News. 2003;26(12):59-72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16. Dillman, DA, Sinclair, MD, Clark, JR. Effects of questionnaire length, respondent friendly design, and a difficult question on response rates for occupant-addressed census mail surveys. Public Opinion Quarterly. 1993;57:289-304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17. Dillman, DA. The design and administration of a mail survey. Ann Rev of Soc. 1991;17:225-249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18. Kazner, SE, Baren, JM, Le Rous, PD, et al. . Community views on neurological emergency treatment trails. Annals Emerg Med. 2011;57(4):346-354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19. Alexander, C, Becker, HJ. The use of vignettes in survey research. Public Opinion Quarterly. 1978;42:93-104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20. SPSS-PC version 17. Chicago, Illinois USA: SPSS; 2009.Google Scholar
21. Stevens, J. Applied Multivariate Statistics for the Social Sciences. Hillsdale, New Jersey USA: Erlbaum; 1992.Google Scholar
22. DeVellis, R. Scale Development Theory and Applications, 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, California USA: Sage; 2003.Google Scholar
23. 2010 Census. http://2010.census.gov/2010census/data/index.php. Accessed July 6, 2011.Google Scholar
24. Ansolabehere, S, Schaffner, B. Residential mobility, family structure, and the cell-only population. Public Opinion Quarterly. 2010;74:244-259.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25. Stone, E. Research Methods in Organizational Behavior. Glenview, Illinois USA: Scott, Foresman; 1978.Google Scholar
26. Gibson, G. Heroes and Heroines: A Gendered Perspective of Heroic Status Attribution. Doctoral dissertation. Purdue University. West Lafayette, Indianapolis; 2008.Google Scholar
27. Ginde, AA, Rao, M, Simon, EL, et al. . Regionalization of emergency care future directions and research: workforce issues. Acad Emerg Med. 2010;17(12):1286-1295.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28. US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Projections. Employment by Occupation, 2008 and Projected 2018. http://data.bls.gov:8080/oep/nioem/empiohm.jsp. Published 2009. Accessed June 15, 2011.Google Scholar
29. Mowafi, H, Nowak, K, Hein, K. Facing the challenges in human resources for humanitarian health. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2007;22(5):351-359.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Supplementary material: Image

Blau and Gibson supplementary materal

Tif image of America

Download Blau and Gibson supplementary materal(Image)
Image 1.9 MB