Family-centered prehospital care

Family-centered care is mutually beneficial collaboration between patients, family members and healthcare professionals to improve the overall health and safety of the community. Because of their frequent presence at prehospital emergency scenes, family members often participate in prehospital care prior to the arrival of EMS. EMS professionals generally have little or no training in managing family members or in integrating their needs into the needs of their patients. Many EMS professionals believe interacting with family members is a matter of common sense, but our multicultural environment and advances in medical technology make the issue more complex. EMS professionals favor most family-centered care concepts, but are hesitant to open their patient compartments or their advisory boards to family members. For more information about family-centered prehospital care, visit NAEMT's website at www.naemt.org.