Alarm Fatigue in EMS
Fatigue within EMS is usually described in terms of a provider’s ability to get enough sleep. But there are other types of fatigue in health care, the study of which has remained siloed within brick and mortar facilities, resulting in a generic lack of focus from the EMS industry. These types of fatigue are real, and they have real, sometimes deadly, consequences. Defined as “sensory overload … Continue reading Alarm Fatigue in EMS
National Rural EMS Conference
I recently had the pleasure of attending the National Rural EMS Conference in San Antonio, Texas. This conference was one of the smallest I’ve ever attended, but it provided a unique view of the concerns rural EMS providers may have that don’t reflect those of their urban counterparts. Since it was hosted by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health, you can find all the slides online for free here. I also had the … Continue reading National Rural EMS Conference
Sexy CPR training video misses its mark
A German social welfare and first aid organization has produced a video that some news outlets have called “sexy” to raise awareness of bystander CPR. The five minute video is a compilation of modern pop songs whose lyrics have been changed to explain the benefits and mechanics of compression only CPR. Although the campaign attempts to connect with people 25 and younger by using songs like Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”, … Continue reading Sexy CPR training video misses its mark
The evolving war on opioids
Prehospital providers are on the front lines of the current opioid addiction epidemic. Those that have yet to experience the power of saving a life with a simple bolus of naloxone likely won’t have to wait long given that over 28,000 people died in 2014, and an additional 2.2 million Americans currently struggle with opioid addiction. President Obama recently attended the National Rx Drug Abuse … Continue reading The evolving war on opioids
Improve CPR with systems thinking
There are ten cellular processes that must continue to function in order for the human body to survive cardiac arrest. While each of these processes is critically important, all require intra- and inter-organizational systems to be in place in order to guarantee success. The chain of survival exists for a reason. As a representation of the links that are required to connect an unfortunate start to a … Continue reading Improve CPR with systems thinking
The Gathering of Eagles: 2016
Next year the Gathering of Eagles will celebrate its 19th rendition. And you should be there. The Gathering of Eagles isn’t like the academic conferences many of the Eagles’ faculty present at. Nor is it like smaller state-level conferences many in the audience attend. And it definitely isn’t like the larger EMS conferences such as EMS World Expo. It’s a different breed entirely. The Gathering started … Continue reading The Gathering of Eagles: 2016
Public Health Obligation to Prevent TB Transmission
The recent tuberculosis outbreak in Marion, Alabama, has resulted in a controversial public health program paying people to get tested for TB. Although more than 1,000 people have been tested through this program, that only represents 10 percent of the county’s population. While economic incentives are not recommended as the first step in prevention, this is an active outbreak that has taken at least three lives. Additionally, 20 … Continue reading Public Health Obligation to Prevent TB Transmission
The Role of EMS in Patient Safety
The National Patient Safety Foundation (NPSF) published a follow-up report to the now famous Institute of Medicine’s “To Err Is Human.” The new report, “Free from Harm”, calls attention to the patient safety lessons learned over the past decade and a half, as well as reminding health care providers that many of the same issues initially spotlighted still remain. Although EMS is not specifically mentioned in … Continue reading The Role of EMS in Patient Safety
National Association of EMS Physicians 2016 Annual Meeting
What follows is a list of resources mentioned during various session at this year’s NAEMSP Annual Meeting. This conference represents the best of the science of EMS. So as to not overtly violate the ethics of conference attendance (and therefore conference fees), all information was found on the web during the various sessions. I try to refrain from interpretation, but if you have any questions … Continue reading National Association of EMS Physicians 2016 Annual Meeting
Institute for Healthcare Improvement 27th National Forum
After every conference I like to make a list of resources mentioned throughout the various sessions. Keeping track of this information is one of the biggest reasons I use Twitter so heavily on these occasions. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s National Forum is one of my favorite conferences. Although it is disproportionately attended by clinicians, I always feel at home surrounded by so many passionate … Continue reading Institute for Healthcare Improvement 27th National Forum
Flirting with Adrenaline 