Configurations of EMS Systems – A National Assessment

How are emergency medical services organized, financed, and delivered throughout the United States? 

About the Project

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems are configured differently depending on several factors, including the size, organization, demographics and geography of the local communities they serve. Although some information exists about the organization, financing and delivery of EMS in 200 of the nation’s largest cities, this information is incomplete and does not provide any information on how services are organized outside large urban areas in which 75% of the nation’s population resides. Even less is known about how different EMS configurations impact the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery.

An important first step in understanding what EMS systems work well, is the development of a typology of system configurations so that systems can be evaluated on a common basis. This study will develop such a typology and use it to characterize EMS systems around the country. The development of the typology will also assist in establishing a common EMS language and provide the basis for tracking progress in the development of EMS systems into the future. The need for these data has never been more critical. In its efforts to better prepare for mass casualties and disasters, the nation must have a better understanding as to how EMS are organized and delivered at the local level so that these services are appropriately integrated in to an overall systems response capability.

This project is a logical extension of a pilot study completed in 2008, and is being performed at the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

About the Survey

Your unique insight into how emergency medical services are organized in your area will be invaluable to us as part of this project. The survey contains questions that are broad in nature and are not intended to assess your system’s quality or collect sensitive data, but simply to evaluate how emergency medical services are organized and delivered in your area.

The questionnaire can be completed in about 5 to 10 minutes and your data will be kept secure. Please take a few moments to complete your printed survey and return it in the postage paid envelope you received, or if you prefer to submit an electronic version of the survey (be sure to note your system number contained in your mailer), it can be accessed here:

* Although this website will function with most modern web browsers, it is recommended that you view this site using Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0+, Mozilla Firefox 2.0+, or Apple Safari 3.0+.      

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please contact Douglas Ammerman, senior research assistant, at 410-614-6081 or dammera@jhsph.edu.

To discuss this initiative with a NHTSA representative, please contact Ian Reagan at 202-366-5599 or Ian.Reagan@dot.gov.

Reports

Configurations of EMS Systems: A Pilot Study (Technical Summary)

Configurations of EMS Systems: A Pilot Study (Full Report)

Ambulance Image © Brian Toad Photography