The EMS for Children Performance Measures include off-line medical direction (protocols), on-line medical direction (direct communication with a hospital), and ambulance equipment. EMS agencies in Ohio were surveyed in 2008 and in 2010-11 about these measures, with the following results:
Access to on-line pediatric medical direction at the scene of an emergency:
Access to off-line pediatric medical direction at the scene of an emergency:
Access to all the recommended pediatric equipment at the scene of an emergency:
The Equipment for Ambulances list, available through the Ohio EMS for Children Program, is the guideline used for the survey. This comprehensive list includes adult and pediatric equipment for Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support ambulances. Equipment for Ambulances was published jointly by the American College of Surgeons’ Committee on Trauma, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the EMS for Children Program.
The results from these surveys help guide the Ohio EMS for Children Program in decision making for the future of the program, including making all the equipment from the Equipment for Ambulances list a part of the Ohio EMS Grants Training and Equipment List. In addition, some pieces of equipment which were shown to be lacking on the 2010-11 survey will be mailed to agencies which participated in that survey.
To take the survey, please go to emscsurveys.org.
More information about Ohio EMS for Children, and the EMSC Performance Measures, is available at http://ems.ohio.gov/emsc/emsc_index.stm, or contact Joe Stack, Ohio EMS for Children Coordinator, at 614-387-1949 or EMSC@dps.state.oh.us.