Challenges for Rural Emergency Medical Services: Medical Oversight. Findings Brief

摘要

EMS medical oversight or medical direction refers to the guidance and authority that supports the EMT and paramedic in the provision of prehospital care. Medical direction can occur both on-line and offline. On-line medical direction is the guidance provided to EMS personnel for medical care in the fi eld or during transport of a patient. Off-line medical direction is the administrative activity which serves to define and enforce standards of care, training, and operational policies for an EMS agency. Medical oversight is an important factor in maintaining a prepared EMS workforce and in providing the leadership necessary to ensure the availability and quality of these important health care services. This Findings Brief examines the challenges faced by local rural EMS agencies in obtaining a medical director and ensuring medical oversight for EMS personnel. It also describes how the challenges faced in rural areas differ from those in urban ones. Data are from a survey of randomly chosen local EMS directors in both rural and urban areas of the country.