" Where is the future of this profession heading?"

[tniuqs]

Backgrounder:

I was contacted by a very bright noob and a member of EMT City :

Dear Turnip:

Sooo I'm writing the report that will make or break my acceptance into the EMT program and I was wondering if you could help me with one of the questions. " Where is the future of this profession heading?" Honestly no matter what I research, I don't know how to answer that and look like a genius in the process. Any thoughts ?

So my initial response was very local being Alberta and a tad negative with the takeover of EMS by government a most in opportune time to restructure with no cash to do so ... morons all.

Then the light came on and after a page of the negatives and attempting with some literary licence to twist a idiotic move into a good thing ...

So looking at this question from a more global perspective just where are we going and what is next to advance the profession of EMS ?

Any thoughts ?

[HellsBells]

You asking about Alberta in particular, or EMS in general?

[tniuqs]

You asking about Alberta in particular, or EMS in general?

I think I covered the death er retardation of AHS/EMS in AB ... was looking for a broader view from greener pastures.

cheers

[Kiwiology]

Ambos need to stand up and take the bull (EMS) by the horns rather than let the bull continue to have the upper hand over the ambos.

Broadly .... the following need to be addressed

1. Funding

2. Professional identity and leadership

3. Intergration with the wider health sector- no longer just call and haul/de-emphasis on emergency role

4. Standard education and levels of practice with common cross-jurisdictional titles

5. Industrial representation/pay

6. Fire service

7. QA/CQI

[fiznat]

I think the best way for a "newbie" to answer this question would be to describe how "young" EMS is compared to the other public services, and talk about how our future depends very much on the choices we make today. Describe EMS as in it's adolescent stage, equally capable of great success and great failure.

Edited January 31, 2010 by fiznat

[aussiephil]

Firstly, we need to be completely disassociated from any other profession. We need to be stand alone.

Once we are a stand alone service, we need to be looking at what we can be doing as an adjunct to 'emergeny' work. Do we need to transport every patient or can we leave some at home. People heal better at home, there is less chance of infection & they want to be at home.

Provided there is appropriate support structures in place, these can be better than transport aims.

[rock_shoes]

I think I covered the death er retardation of AHS/EMS in AB ... was looking for a broader view from greener pastures.

cheers

Well I'm covered in brown stuff just to the west of you right now. Perhaps all that fertilizer will turn things green eventually.

[Kiwiology]

Firstly, we need to be completely disassociated from any other profession. We need to be stand alone.

Once we are a stand alone service, we need to be looking at what we can be doing as an adjunct to 'emergeny' work. Do we need to transport every patient or can we leave some at home. People heal better at home, there is less chance of infection & they want to be at home.

Provided there is appropriate support structures in place, these can be better than transport aims.

People call an ambo because they have a problem, they need help for some crisis which coincidently might be slightly medical in nature (or you know, a lot medical if the patient is really crook) but I think ambo generally fails to recognise that HELP does not always require an ambulance or transport.

There are some interesting concepts being developed that could prove to be quite uselful, CARE in NSW is one such example.

[aussiephil]

People call an ambo because they have a problem, they need help for some crisis which coincidently might be slightly medical in nature (or you know, a lot medical if the patient is really crook) but I think ambo generally fails to recognise that HELP does not always require an ambulance or transport.

There are some interesting concepts being developed that could prove to be quite uselful, CARE in NSW is one such example.

CARE is one, ECP is another & the Brits have a model for it as well.

Edited February 1, 2010 by aussiephil

[CBEMT]

Sounds like a stupid-ass question to demand of someone who isn't even in the field yet. Just my two coppers.