Summary

In study session I you have learnt

• An emergency medical services (EMS) system is a network of resources to provide care to victims of sudden illness and injury at the scene, during transportation and in health institution using effective communication at each level
• The essential components of an EMS system include regulation, resources management, personnel and training, transportation, facilities, communication, public information and education, medical direction or oversight, trauma systems, and evaluation.
• Pre hospital health care providers has many roles and responsibilities in providing the safe and effective care of patients and is a professional representative of the EMS system in carrying out these roles and responsibilities.
• The aim of EMS is to provide treatment to those in need of urgent medical care, with the goal of either satisfactorily treating the malady, or arranging for timely removal of the patient to the next point of definitive care which is an emergency department at a health institution.
• In some areas, EMS units may handle technical rescue operations such as extrication, water rescue, and search and rescue.
• In most places in the world, the EMS is summoned by members of the public via an emergency telephone number usually of three digit which puts them in contact with the control center for the EMS (Dispatch center), who will then dispatch a suitable team to deal with the situation.
• Emergency Medical Technician basic, intermediate and paramedic are the different modalities of training
• Dispatch center is called as call center main function is collect information from the public, dispatch ambulance, give instruction for the first responder or bystander/family on the care has to be given to the patient or victim
• EMS is organized to have one dispatch center but many ambulance stations and this helps the ambulances to reach to the patient without delay and having one dispatch center is cost effective
• Three digit telephones are the most frequently used by the community to access the EMS, internet and radio communications are also used for emergency communications
• Medical oversight refers to the formal relationship between the EMS providers and physician(s) responsible for the out-of-hospital emergency medical care provided in a community. All EMS systems are required to have medical oversight.
• The care of the sick and injured continues beyond the field treatment to the in-hospital treatment of the patient, and health institution has to be organized in different levels to mange different level of severity of illness or injury