Pediatric Readiness in Emergency Medical Services Systems

Abstract

on pediatric readiness in emergency medical services systems. Prehospital emergency care typically involves emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other licensed medical providers who work in emergency medical services (EMS) systems in ground ambulances and fixedor rotor-wing aircraft that are dispatched to an emergency when either a bystander calls 9-1-1 or when a patient requires interfacility transport for a medical illness or traumatic injury. Because prehospital emergency care of children plays a critical role in the continuum of health care, which also involves primary prevention, hospital-based acute care, rehabilitation, and return to the medical home, the unique needs of children must be addressed by EMS systems. 1-5 Pediatric readiness encompasses the presence of equipment and medications, usage of guidelines and policies, availability of education and training, incorporation of performance-improvement practices, and integration of EMS physician medical oversight to equip EMS systems to deliver optimal care to children. 6-8 It has been shown that emergency departments are more prepared to care for children when a pediatric emergency care coordinator is responsible for championing and making recommendations for policies, training, and resources pertinent to the emergency care of children. 9,10 The specialty of EMS medicine has the potential to derive similar benefits when members of the EMS community are personally

Prehospital and emergency department pediatric readiness for injured children: A statement from the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Emergency Medical Services Committee

“…This dilution of exposure translates to the need for reiterative and robust training, quality improvement, education, and skills courses to maintain PR. Recognizing the importance of the topic but the constraints of daily clinical care, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Emergency Physicians, Emergency Nurses Association, National Association of EMS Physicians, and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) released a joint policy statement on PR in EMS systems in 2019 29–31 . The purpose was to highlight the need for uniform pediatric prehospital care and to recommend standards based on PR needs in trauma care 32 .…”

Assessing proximity effect of high‐acuity pediatric emergency departments on the pediatric readiness scores in neighboring general emergency departments

“…Given the lack of demographics or further information from non-responders, it is difficult to make any conclusions. 13,15…”

Why do infants need out-of-hospital emergency medical services? A retrospective, population-based study

“…The reported proportion of EMS contacts in pediatric patients varies between 4% in Finland [1], 5% in Canada [2] and 7% in Denmark, Korea and United States [3][4][5]. However, children have unique needs in a healthcare setting and EMS has to address these needs [6]. The Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference on "Aligning the Pediatric Emergency Medicine Research Agenda to Reduce Health Outcome Gaps" identified organization and administration of pediatric EMS as one of high-priority research issues [7].…”