NEMSMA Position Statement and White Paper: Process and Outcomes Data Sharing between EMS and Receiving Hospitals

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Emergency Medicine
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies face challenges obtaining patient outcome and hospital process feedback from hospitals.
• EMS providers struggle to share essential patient transfer information, impacting continuity of care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a position statement from the National EMS Management Association regarding bi-lateral data exchange between EMS and hospitals.
• To examine the barriers hindering effective information exchange between EMS and healthcare facilities.

Main Methods:

• The paper outlines a position statement and provides supporting rationale.
• It analyzes the root causes of data exchange issues.
• Recommendations are offered to overcome identified barriers.

Main Results:

• Hospitals and EMS agencies often lack established feedback loops for quality assessment.
• Inefficiencies in data sharing impede coordinated patient care.
• Barriers to bi-lateral information exchange are identified and analyzed.

Conclusions:

• Improved bi-lateral data exchange is crucial for enhancing EMS quality programs and patient care continuity.
• Addressing systemic barriers requires collaborative efforts between EMS agencies and hospitals.
• The National EMS Management Association advocates for standardized data sharing protocols.