State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation
Abstract Objectives The COVID‐19 pandemic has had an impact on emergency medical services (EMS) and its guidelines, which aid in patient care. This study characterizes state and territory EMS office recommendations to EMS statewide operational and clinical guidelines and describes the mechanisms of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12687 |
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| author | Sylvia Owusu‐Ansah Matthew Harris Jennifer N. Fishe Kathleen Adelgais Ashish Panchal John W. Lyng Kerry McCans Rachel Alter Amanda Perry Angelica Cercone Phyllis Hendry Mark X. Cicero |
| author_facet | Sylvia Owusu‐Ansah Matthew Harris Jennifer N. Fishe Kathleen Adelgais Ashish Panchal John W. Lyng Kerry McCans Rachel Alter Amanda Perry Angelica Cercone Phyllis Hendry Mark X. Cicero |
| author_sort | Sylvia Owusu‐Ansah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objectives The COVID‐19 pandemic has had an impact on emergency medical services (EMS) and its guidelines, which aid in patient care. This study characterizes state and territory EMS office recommendations to EMS statewide operational and clinical guidelines and describes the mechanisms of distribution and implementation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods A mixed‐methods study was conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1, changes and development of COVID‐19 guidance and protocols for EMS clinical management and operations were identified among 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 territories in publicly available online documents and information. In phase 2, structured interviews were conducted with state/territory EMS officials to confirm the protocol changes or guidance and assess dissemination and implementation strategies for COVID‐19. Results In phase 1, publicly available online documents for 52 states/territories regarding EMS protocols and COVID‐19 guidance were identified and reviewed. Of 52 (33/52) states/territories, 33 had either formal protocol changes or specific guidance for the pandemic. In phase 2, 2 state and territory EMS officials were interviewed regarding their protocols or guidance for COVID‐19 and the dissemination and implementation practices they used to reach EMS agencies (response rate = 65%). Of the 34 state/territory officials interviewed, 22 had publicly available online COVID‐19 protocols or guidance. Of the 22 officials with online COVID‐19 protocols, all reported providing operational direction, and 19 of 22 officials reported providing clinical direction. Conclusions Most states provided guidance to EMS agencies and/or updated protocols in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-4e8bae318b4d4033997bc539ad1a509c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2688-1152 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-4e8bae318b4d4033997bc539ad1a509c2025-08-20T01:56:57ZengElsevierJournal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open2688-11522022-04-0132n/an/a10.1002/emp2.12687State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigationSylvia Owusu‐Ansah0Matthew Harris1Jennifer N. Fishe2Kathleen Adelgais3Ashish Panchal4John W. Lyng5Kerry McCans6Rachel Alter7Amanda Perry8Angelica Cercone9Phyllis Hendry10Mark X. Cicero11Department of Pediatrics Division of Emergency Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USADepartment of Pediatrics Section of Emergency Medicine Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Hempstead New York USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida USADepartment of Pediatrics Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine University of Colorado School of Medicine Aurora Colorado USADepartment of Emergency Medicine The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Columbus Ohio USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of Minnesota School of Medicine Minneapolis Minnesota USALewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Philadelphia Pennsylvania USANational Association of State EMS Officials Falls Church Virginia USALouisiana Department of Health EMS for Children Baton Rouge Louisiana USADepartment of Pediatrics Division of Emergency Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Pittsburgh Pennsylvania USADepartment of Emergency Medicine University of Florida College of Medicine – Jacksonville Jacksonville Florida USADepartment of Pediatrics Section of Pediatric Emergency Medicine Yale University School of Medicine New Haven Connecticut USAAbstract Objectives The COVID‐19 pandemic has had an impact on emergency medical services (EMS) and its guidelines, which aid in patient care. This study characterizes state and territory EMS office recommendations to EMS statewide operational and clinical guidelines and describes the mechanisms of distribution and implementation during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods A mixed‐methods study was conducted in 2 phases. In phase 1, changes and development of COVID‐19 guidance and protocols for EMS clinical management and operations were identified among 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 5 territories in publicly available online documents and information. In phase 2, structured interviews were conducted with state/territory EMS officials to confirm the protocol changes or guidance and assess dissemination and implementation strategies for COVID‐19. Results In phase 1, publicly available online documents for 52 states/territories regarding EMS protocols and COVID‐19 guidance were identified and reviewed. Of 52 (33/52) states/territories, 33 had either formal protocol changes or specific guidance for the pandemic. In phase 2, 2 state and territory EMS officials were interviewed regarding their protocols or guidance for COVID‐19 and the dissemination and implementation practices they used to reach EMS agencies (response rate = 65%). Of the 34 state/territory officials interviewed, 22 had publicly available online COVID‐19 protocols or guidance. Of the 22 officials with online COVID‐19 protocols, all reported providing operational direction, and 19 of 22 officials reported providing clinical direction. Conclusions Most states provided guidance to EMS agencies and/or updated protocols in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12687COVID‐19disseminationEMSguidanceimplementationpandemic |
| spellingShingle | Sylvia Owusu‐Ansah Matthew Harris Jennifer N. Fishe Kathleen Adelgais Ashish Panchal John W. Lyng Kerry McCans Rachel Alter Amanda Perry Angelica Cercone Phyllis Hendry Mark X. Cicero State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open COVID‐19 dissemination EMS guidance implementation pandemic |
| title | State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation |
| title_full | State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation |
| title_fullStr | State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation |
| title_short | State emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic: A national investigation |
| title_sort | state emergency medical services guidance and protocol changes in response to the covid 19 pandemic a national investigation |
| topic | COVID‐19 dissemination EMS guidance implementation pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/emp2.12687 |
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