Prehospital emergency care : official journal of the National Association of EMS Physicians and the National Association of State EMS Directors
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Prior studies have highlighted wide variation in emergency medical services (EMS) workplace safety culture across agencies. ⋯ Individual EMS worker perceptions of workplace safety culture are associated with composite measures of patient and provider safety outcomes. This study is preliminary evidence of the association between safety culture and patient or provider safety outcomes.
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We sought to develop a reliable and valid tool for measuring teamwork among emergency medical technician (EMT) partnerships. ⋯ We developed a reliable and valid survey to evaluate teamwork between EMT partners.
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To investigate the ability of salivary osmolality to assess dehydration while subjects perform alternating work/rest cycles in personal protective equipment (PPE). ⋯ Salivary osmolality may be a sensitive indicator of moderate dehydration under carefully controlled conditions.
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To assess the relationship of emergency medical services (EMS) intervals and internal hospital intervals to the rapid reperfusion of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ⋯ In our study, hospital process intervals (EMS activation, door to page, page to laboratory, and laboratory to reperfusion) are key covariates of rapid reperfusion for EMS STEMI patients and should be used when assessing STEMI care.
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Patient and provider safety is paramount in all aspects of emergency medical services (EMS) systems. The leaders, administrators, and policymakers of these systems must have an understanding of situations that present potential for harm to patients or providers. ⋯ This EMS safety incident reporting system identified situations that occurred in many categories of EMS care. These potential dangers represent opportunity to assess, and ultimately change, policy and procedures to reduce potential safety events and medical errors and improve overall safety. A substantial number of cases were excluded to maintain the promise of anonymity within the system.