'Real' Medical Journal Reading

[Ace844]

Hi All,

I was just wondering as a group how many of us read "professional medical journals" (not including JEMS, EMS, Fire Rescue, which are more magazines..). If you do which ones and why? Do you concentrate on EM/EMS related journals or read whatever you have access to..? Do you think this is important to our profession..?

out here,

Ace844

[vs-eh?]

I can't read .... BUT IF I COULD!!!!!

Honestly JEMS is a pretty good journalmagazine. It takes profession medical opinons and references (much like yourself Ace844) from "real" medical journals.

But to answer the question, no. The only time I look at "real" medical journals is when I am writing a paper or something.

[Richard B the EMT]

Has anybody noticed I quote from JEMS and EMS a lot?

[AZCEP]

Prehospital Emergency Care and the American College of Cardiology journal have found permanent places in my collection. The excerpts in JEMS and EMS don't begin to cover the changes that are happening. I've found that JEMS/EMS are good for learning about new equipment/technology that applies to EMS, but the patient care issues are usually rehashed versions from the textbooks.

[Ridryder 911]

I call JEMS & EMS toilet reading material, very simple and non-scientific. Basically a review of what you should had known already and if you read true Journals you would had already known this informatiop 2-3 years before their publication. I read American Journal of Trauma, JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Emergency Physician...etc. I wished EMS had a a true Journal such as Emergency Nursing from ENA. They have at least abstract papers and researc articles, something we should learn from.

Be safe,

Ridryder 911

[Ace844]

I call JEMS & EMS toilet reading material, very simple and non-scientific. Basically a review of what you should had known already and if you read true Journals you would had already known this informatiop 2-3 years before their publication. I read American Journal of Trauma, JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Emergency Physician...etc. I wished EMS had a a true Journal such as Emergency Nursing from ENA. They have at least abstract papers and researc articles, something we should learn from.

Be safe,

Ridryder 911

"Rid,"

As far as a true "EMS" journal, the closest i have found is "Pre-hospital Emergency Care", which "AZCEP," mentioned as well.

out here,

Ace844

[Guest]

I had a subscription to NEJM for a year but couldn't afford to renew. I love reading it, but I skip over things that "don't apply" to me or simply don't interest me. Towards the end of the year, I was using it pretty much to see the adverts for the newest drugs so I'd often know about them before the pharmacists I worked with. I still get access online for some reason so if there's a headline in my email that I like I'll go and read it online.

I subscribed to JEMS a couple months ago and really like it. I read about every word of the first issue I got, not so much with the second one because I've just been busier. I also subscribed to EMS Mag but haven't got any issues of that yet. And last, I plan on subscribing to the Texas EMS mag but they don't have any online ordering options and I'm not keen on snail mail.

What other mags/journals do you all suggest a newcomer to EMS read?

[Dustdevil]

The only one I still receive is "Military Medicine." It's a great read, and isn't all about battle trauma as the name might imply to some. It covers a broad spectrum of medical topics. Once I get back to the field, I intend to subscribe to JTrauma, EN, and some others. Most agencies I have worked have JEMS and EMS laying around the office or station, so there is no need to subscribe.

I call JEMS & EMS toilet reading material, very simple and non-scientific. Basically a review of what you should had known already and if you read true Journals you would had already known this informatiop 2-3 years before their publication. ...<snip>... I wished EMS had a a true Journal such as Emergency Nursing from ENA. They have at least abstract papers and researc articles, something we should learn from.

I share your vision, Bro. I truly do. But I am realistic about the motivation and intellect of the average medic in this country too. The high-end education for our field is an Associates degree. And those who hold it are resented by the tech-school medics because "all that book learnin' don't make you start IVs better than me!" :roll:

Until the educational dilemma in EMS is solved, I'm afraid I don't see any financial incentive for anyone to publish a truly scientific EMS journal. Not enough people to buy it. For that matter, not enough medics doing research to fill it. Consequently, for the forseeably distant future, we're stuck with the entertainment mags like JEMS, and the intellectual medics will simply have to continue to leech off of the medical and nursing journals for worthwhile science.

[Guest]

How can we do research? we operate under a physician, who has graciously agreed to allow us to work under his license. We can not just go out and start doing our own studies on our patients. That is against the law. we can not decide to deviate from the guidelines set forth by our Medical direction. We cannot just decide that well i don't like putting IO's in the tibia so I'm going to put it in the femur today and see how it works. ( yes i know over simplified )

We can be good statisticians and follow trends in responses to treatments given. we can study the current data out there and come to our own conclusions on what is found and submit it as such. But to truly be out in the thin air of the leading edge as far as research, well that's why all the Journals and such are written by and for doctors. To be honest, the AS degree is not the top. There are BS programs as well. One i know of is in TX. i believe it is at TX Tech. I suppose that a Masters is in the plans somewhere. But still you want to make a huge difference in emergency medicine ? Then go back to school and become a doc. Do the research you want to do, Teach it the way you want it to be taught. Make a name for yourself in EMS and the rest will follow.

The only time i have ever read an EMT-P next to a name on research paper was after MD or DO. Or the medic was assisting the Dr. overseeing the project. Everything that is done in our work has to be approved by a doctor.

Honestly, Dust, your statement about an AS degree being the top is false. Doctorate is the top of our profession always has been and always will be. And on that note if our local medical direction would pay attention to the way classes are taught under their license i would be willing to bet that the half assed medics being turned out of 600hr medic classes would end in a heartbeat.

[Ridryder 911]

I am not aware of any M.S. or even Doctorate in EMS, there are M.S. & Doctorate in applied areas such the science or business area but not EMS. There can be research in EMS without physician participation although albeit not in patient care. When was the last time you seen an article of study of Paramedic Instructor education level, the best working habits and productivity of EMT's, or even cost containment of and risk prevention in EMS. How about the level of patient assessment we perform, as well theories of Paramedic care ? Yes, we have to have a physician to oversee medical research, we do not have a medical practice license and therefore cannot practice medicine officially. This should not stop us from looking into or developing and performing research in the medical aspects of EMS, under their guidance. True, there are VERY few EMT's and Paramedics that understand research process and procedures. This itself is a flaw in our profession.

I agree some of the journals are not directly related but medicine is medicine. The next patient I see may be the patient with a pancreatic carcinoma. It really upsets me to to work or see medics that have not a clue of any other medicine than just what was taught in that one EMT book.

I have authored a few articles in Paramedic International then after in JEMS when it was changed. I also had some published in EMS and then in some might remember the rag EMERGENCY. These are a nice trade magazine, but are a far cry from a professional journal.

I know some of you might remember when the NAEMT had a publication of EMT Journal this was a very good journal with current research and new standards. Then .........poof ! We regressed...Unless things have changed very recently, you cannot author an article in JEMS or EMS that is written over the 11'th grade reading level, since most studies have shown that Paramedics only have a 10'th grade reading level. What a tragedy! After review and re-review, of your query, it becomes so discouraging that is has to be watered down, most of the writers get discouraged that it has lost its main content.

I agree, we need several true journals; to begin debate and spark research. In EMS we need to take off the rose colored glasses and quit having the idea we cannot perform research other than patient care. EMS has multifaceted parts that's need to researched and be developed in other than patient care.

Be safe,

Ridryder 911