Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Ning Jackie Zhang, MD, PhD, MPH, PhD program in Public Affairs, University of Central Florida, 3280 Progress Drive, Orlando, FL 32826, 407-823-3344, nizhang@mail.ucf.edu and Stephanie Daugherty, Florida Bureau of Emergency Medical Services, 4052 Bald Cypress way, Tallahassee, FL 32311.

Objectives: There are currently no well-acknowledged performance standards at both national and state-level Emergency Management Services (EMS). The State of Florida Bureau of EMS is developing a statewide data system to collect pre-hospital data in accordance with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's dataset and the National EMS Information System Initiative (NEMSIS) requirements. The incident-level performance measures are essential in the efforts to improve patient care for citizens and visitors of Florida through identifying and sharing best practices. The aim of this study was to identify best performance indicators and meet the needs of local municipalities and EMS providers.

Design: The Florida EMS Advisory Council Data Workgroup has been tasked to collect opinions from EMS Administrators and Medical Directors. A questionnaire and follow-up were being distributed for input regarding quality performance indicators that EMS providers considered as most important in providing information to support and measure EMS performance. Both email and online surveys were offered to collect the data.

Population: County EMS administrators and Medical Directors in Florida. Response rates were 17.7% and 25% for them respectively.

Findings: There were 159 and 73 performance indicators collected from EMS administrators and Medical Directors in 14 different EMS measurement areas respectively. EMS administrators and Medical Directors perceived most important performance indicators differently. Response time and numbers and types of calls/alerts/transports were considered as two most important indicators by EMS administrators while intubation success rates and cardiac arrest survival rates/ROSC by Medical Directors. There are also performance indicators excluded in the NEMSIS system.

Learning Objectives:

• Introduce the most important performance indicators EMS providers considered.
• Compare the performance indicators evaluated by EMS providers with those the (NEMSIS)suggested.
• Suggest a comprehensive performance measurement system

Keywords: Emergency, Outcome Measures

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation