175216 Resource Centers use varying levels of technical assistance to Promote processes and compliance for Emergency Medical Services for Children at the State and Territory Level

Monday, October 27, 2008: 3:10 PM

Tasmeen Singh Weik, MPH, NREMTP , Emergency Medical Services for Children National Resource Center, Children's National Medical Center, Silver Spring, MD
Michael Ely, MHRM , Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Lenora Olson, MA, PhD , Intermountain Injury Control Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
     
Background: The Federal Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) Program provides funding to 50 States, 5 Territories (S/T) and the District of Columbia to improve the health care infrastructure for providing pediatric emergency care. The Program funds 2 resource centers to provide technical assistance to (S/T).regarding data collection/analysis and strategic planning. The Program has set performance measures to evaluate S/T pediatric emergency care infrastructure which require S/Ts to collect and report data annually using prescribed methods. The intent is for the data to be used for strategic planning on making health system improvements. Since each S/T is different, resource centers must find ways to help the most challenged states and optimize resources.

Methodology: In July 2006, S/Ts submitted the first round of data. The resource centers conducted a telephone interview with all S/T managers to assess the compliance with data collection methods and ascertain challenges and progress.

Results: The interview data were tabulated and scored based on S/T compliance with acceptable data collection methods. Actual scores ranged from 80 (best) to 580 (worst). In addition resource center staff were directed to provide a qualitative assessment of the amount of technical assistance needed by S/T before the data were scored. Staff categorized that 29% of S/Ts require intensive assistance whereas the numeric score analyzed 38% as needing intensive help. Staff predicted that 42% required some assistance and the numeric score agreed. Compliance with standard data collection methods was 62% for data from prehospital agencies and 29% for data from hospitals. Additional results from the assessment provided more specific information on S/T ability to collect data. Conclusions: Compliance among S/T's is variable. Resource centers are able to predict S/Ts ability to succeed thereby being able to provide focused technical assistance.

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe the structure of a resource center in providing technical assistance to States and Territories 2) Identify strategies used by resource centers to provide technical assistance 3) Identify performance metrics for how technical assistance translates to success at the State and Territory level.

Keywords: Emergency, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Director of the EMSC National Resource Center that provides technical assistance to all grantees of the Federal EMSC Program. The focus of the presentation is the strategy of technical assistance as a means for improving State and Territory performance. I overseethe provision of technical assistance in my role as Director.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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