Prehospital Research

[EMTP_To_EP]

Recently, the manager of the ALS unit I work for asked if anyone is interested in completing a research project. We are a hospital based non-transporting ALS unit that is part of a fairly busy ED with a 3-year EM residency program. Our territory is a combination of urban, suburban, and rural. Our total call-volume is approximately 4800-5000 calls per year. The unit has a long history of supporting research projects and in the past has contributed to projects supporting prehospital transcutaneous pacing, Rapid Sequence Induction, prehospital ABG?s, and CPAP. Many of these projects have become part of our current therapeutic regimen and commonplace nationwide.

However, I am looking for ideas that any experienced providers have found interesting or projects that they would like to see attempted in the prehospital environment. I have a few ideas myself, but would like to see what others are thinking and then go on from there.

I hope to hear some creative and challenging ideas, as it seems there is a TON of experience represented on this board.

Thanks -

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[southerndoc]

Do research on what interests you. Many people are passionate about their research. So find an area that you like -- not what someone else is particularly interested in -- and you might just fall in love with it.

 

[InfiniumEtAl]

Do a correlation on pay scale, responsibilities, and training with job happiness and turnover rates in EMS industry. With intent to remove those "leaders", dispatchers, teachers, FTO's, etc...that are hindering all the above aspects.

You can also try to disprove the fallacy that Paramedics can't follow algorithms longer than a few processes. Like the argument over Amioderone field usage in many cities.

 

[InfiniumEtAl]

Partnering crews together can be the most dangerous job any manager has the potential to do in EMS.

I feel that for long shifts that are SSM controlled (or just long term partners) evaluations need to be made that assess different areas of each person?s personality, how they solve problems, communicate, respond, and cope. These are by no means comprehensive. The point is that partners that get along on a subconscious basis (or at least begin the shift knowing where their differences lie) will potentially save lives. It will also have an overall effect on the rest of the crew?s peripheral lives. Marriages will not be affected by long and needlessly stressful days. Food will be digested properly. There will be less overall lost days to pain and injury due to proper communication. Crews will exude more confidence thus making pt?s and family feel better. And so forth. It will eventually reflect a much happier environment within EMS and attract many more workers that will be willing to expand and grow the industry tenfold.
The main focus is not on making perfect matches. It is however, to allow the crews to work cohesively and happily. For example if one partner is an auditory communicator vs. a kinesthetic communicating partner you will have lots of arguments. If this is coupled with differences in music and huge age discrepancies it compounds the problems.

Enough of a rant. If you are interested just PM me or just ask any of us here long timers what they hated most about new partners and you will know what to ask.