Health Care Current Reviews

Emergency medical services (EMS) has evolved greatly since its inception. The model has gone from a load-and-go philosophy to one that integrates high-level medical knowledge and techniques. As the practice of prehospital medicine evolves, these models must also evolve to provide good care. This requires efficient utilization of resources and placement of these resources in areas that are quickly accessible to those in need. A proposed solution has been to dispatch units based on screening by 911 call-takers. EMS response can be grouped into two categories: uniform and tiered. Uniform response means an advanced life support (ALS) unit is always dispatched. A tiered response sends first responders, basic life support (BLS) units, and/or ALS units depending on how the caller answers a series of questions asked by the dispatcher. Persse et al. investigated the difference in survival of patients in the uniform versus tiered response areas within a single, large system. Survival rates for those with out-of-hospital ventricula