Patient Safety Organizations and Emergency Medical Services

Providing safe and error-free patient care should resonate well with all healthcare providers including emergency medical technicians. The environments and circumstances in which emergency medical services (EMS) provide patient care inevitably create risks to both the provider and patient. This article explores the concepts of patient safety, errors, near misses, adverse events, and Just Culture. Literature raises concerns about the lack of data collection on both patient and provider safety and research on these safety topics in EMS. It is the intent of this article to serve as a starting point for continued efforts in developing a culture of safety and providing safer care in EMS by reviewing, discussing, and bringing attention to the need for improved data collection and reporting to patient safety organizations.