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Related Experiment Videos

International EMS Systems: the Nordic countries.

Audun Langhelle1, Hans Morten Lossius, Tom Silfvast

  • 1Norwegian Air Ambulance, Box 27, Høvik, N-1322, Norway. audun.langhelle@snla.no

Resuscitation
|April 15, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Nordic emergency medical services (EMS) share similarities, including anaesthesiologist involvement. However, challenges like varying medical control and specialized training needs persist across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

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Area of Science:

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Pre-hospital Care
  • Healthcare Systems Analysis

Background:

  • Nordic emergency medical services (EMS) exhibit significant commonalities, notably the integration of anaesthesiologists as pre-hospital physicians.
  • These systems provide crucial care for critically ill and injured patients, both pre-hospital and in-hospital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare and contrast EMS systems in the five Nordic countries.
  • To identify and analyze specific challenges and discrepancies within each country's EMS.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of EMS structures and practices across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.
  • Identification of key issues based on author emphasis.

Main Results:

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  • Denmark: Lacks medical control in dispatch and a national criteria-based system.
  • Finland: Faces challenges due to municipal autonomy and insufficient EMS legislation.
  • Iceland: Recognizes emergency medicine (EM) as a specialty but requires more trained specialists.
  • Norway: Identifies ground ambulances as a weak link and aims to re-establish nationwide air ambulance services.
  • Sweden: Seeks evidence-based standards, better integration, formal EM education, and nationwide physician-staffed helicopter EMS (HEMS).

Conclusions:

  • While Nordic EMS share core similarities, significant national discrepancies and challenges require targeted improvements.
  • Addressing issues in medical control, legislation, specialist training, and service integration is crucial for enhancing pre-hospital care across the region.