Characterizing Local EMS Systems

NHTSA - Behavioral Safety Researchhttps://doi.org/10.21949/15257522013PDFTech ReportMacKenzie, Ellen J.Carlini, Anthony R.Johns Hopkins University. School of Public Health. Center for Injury Research and PolicyUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited States. National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationUnited StatesEmergency medical servicesDemographicsGeographyPolitical factorsSizeSystems analysisEmergenciesSocioeconomic areasDOT HS 811 824DTNH22-08-H-00194Emergency medical services (EMS) systems are configured differently depending on several factors, including the size, demographics, geography, and politics of the local communities they serve. Although some information exists about the organization, financing, and delivery of EMS in the Nation\u2019s 200 largest cities, there is less information available about how services are organized outside large urban areas, in which 75 percent of the nation\u2019s population resides. There is little evidence to support alternative system designs and configurations in terms of their impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery. To this end, there is a need to document the variation in system configurations so they may be evaluated on a common basis.129