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Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Trauma.

State-Based Recommendations to Support Rural Ambulance Agencies
Discusses challenges faced by rural ambulance agencies and emergency medical services (EMS) agencies. Identifies state-based policy opportunities to support rural ambulance agencies. Covers EMS as an essential service, professional management, EMS zones, and standby costs.
Author(s): A. Clinton MacKinney, Keith J. Mueller, Alva O. Ferdinand, et al.
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute Rural Health Panel
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Impact of Tele-Emergency Consultations on Pediatric Interfacility Transfers: A Cluster-Randomized Crossover Trial
Results of a study examining the use of pediatric critical care telemedicine compared with telephone consultations associated with transfer rates of acutely ill children from community and rural emergency departments. Features statistics including baseline characteristics and disposition of patients in the telemedicine and telephone groups.
Author(s): James P. Marcin, Hadley S. Sauers-Ford, Jamie L. Mouzoon, et al.
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(2)
Date: 02/2023
Type: Document
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NACRHHS Update: Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Integration of Behavioral Health and Primary Care Services
Webinar recording discusses the 90th meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services which focused on rural EMS and the integration of behavioral health into primary care services. Features presentations from representatives of the National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services, the Bureau of Primary Health Care, Tri-Area Community Health, the Maine Rural Health Research Center, and the Kansas Health Institute.
Additional links: Audio Recording, Webinar Slides, Webinar Transcript
Date: 01/2023
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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First Responder Network Authority Roadmap
Describes First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) programs, activities, and investments to support the creation and evolution of a dedicated and differentiated broadband communications network. Discusses efforts to enhance coverage in rural areas.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: FirstNet Authority
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Connecting Communities to Substance Use Services: Practical Approaches for First Responders
Discusses strategies for first responders in connecting people who use drugs to substance use services including training, developing partnerships, and examples of programs across the country. Chapter 4 covers rural-specific challenges.
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Aiming For 'Real and Accessible': EMS Simulations Give Rural Providers Hands-On Experience
Describes how simulation training is helping rural emergency medical services providers prepare for a variety of situations. Discusses the use of mobile simulation facilities and virtual reality, and features programs in Colorado, Maine, and Nebraska.
Author(s): Gretel Kauffman
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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The Association of Crash Response Times and Deaths at the Crash Scene: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Using the 2019 National Emergency Medical Service Information System
Compares EMS response times with rates of crash scene deaths by rural and urban region and by rush and non-rush hour periods. Breaks down the demographic characteristics of the people involved in the crash, such as age, sex, substances involved, and injuries, as well as mortality and rurality, among other measures.
Author(s): Oluwaseun J. Adeyemi, Rajib Paul, Charles DiMaggio, et al.
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 38(4), 1011-1024
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Strategies for Enhancing Prehospital Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest (EPOC)
Analyzes results of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute–funded Enhancing Prehospital Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest (EPOC) study, which lays the foundation for future quality improvement efforts in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Identifies 49 strategies across the incident, stakeholder, and system levels to improve pre-hospital OHCA survival and care delivery. Includes rural references and considerations throughout.
Author(s): Mahshid Abir, Stephen R. Dowker, Wilson Nham, et al.
Date: 07/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Framework for Optimizing Air Ambulance Locations
Describes a framework for optimizing air ambulance services delivery based on demand and constraints to other modes of transportation. Highlights how data can be used to identify locations where air ambulance services could be located for optimal use. Includes maps showing candidate locations for air ambulance bases in Virginia and New England.
Author(s): Sabin Ahmed, Robert D. Lieberthal, David M. Hechtman, et al.
Citation: AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings, 2022, 102-111
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
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Prehospital Emergency Medical Services Personnel: Comparing Rural and Urban Professional Experience and Provision of Evidence-Based Care
Describes the relationship between prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) providers' levels of experience and provision of evidence-based care for rural and urban populations. Features statistics on EMS agency sample characteristics and evidenced-based care for seizure, stroke, hypoglycemia, and trauma as of 2018, with breakdowns by urban, large rural, small rural, and isolated rural locations.
Author(s): Davis G. Patterson, Nikiah G. Nudell, Lisa A. Garberson, C. Holly A. Andrilla
Date: 05/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center
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Last Updated: 2/16/2024