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The National Association of EMS Physicians has been invited by NHTSA to participate in a Stakeholder Work Group to address the recommendations made to NHTSA by the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC) regarding nomenclature for the EMS profession. ("Changing the Nomenclature of Emergency Medical Services is Necessary.")

The recommendations articulated in the NEMSAC report are:

1.    FICEMS and the DOT should officially recognize and use the term "paramedicine", to describe the distinct discipline and profession which has emerged within the out of hospital health care field, moving forward. In addition, they should collaborate with the working groups on the revision of national documents such as, but not limited to, the EMS Agenda for the Future, to clearly designate the discipline.

 

2.    FICEMS and the DOT should officially recognize and promulgate an all-inclusive standard generic term nationally to describe all health care providers performing within the field of paramedicine, regardless of certification or licensure. In addition, they should collaborate with the working groups on the revision of national documents such as, but not limited to, the EMS Agenda for the Future, to clearly designate the provider.

 

3.    FICEMS and DOT should establish a Multidisciplinary Stakeholders Workgroup to create a nomenclature framework and develop a work plan to address the designation of provider level nomenclature.

PLEASE RATE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS REGARDING THE RECOMMENDATIONS:

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* 1. Recommendation 1: Officially recognize and use the term "paramedicine" to broadly describe the out-of-hospital realm of healthcare.

The National Association of EMS Physicians SHOULD support use of the term paramedicine to define the delivery of clinical care in the community by allied health professionals as defined by the providers' state licensure, state scope of practice and with the oversight of a qualified physician.

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* 2. The National Association of EMS Physicians DOES believe that the terms "paramedicine" and "emergency medical services" can co-exist in the profession's nomenclature. Paramedicine can be performed and will often be performed in the delivery of "emergency medical services".

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* 3. The National Association of EMS Physicians supports terms for professionals practicing in the out of hospital setting that are commensurate with their education and training. For example, whatever term is used by paramedics and EMTs that care for the acutely ill or injured, physicians practice medicine and nurses practice nursing, whether inside or outside the hospital.

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* 4. Paramedics and nurses working in EMS systems provide clinical care that is authorized by their state-defined scope of practice, while utilizing approved clinical care guidelines, with the oversight of a qualified physician.

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* 5. The National Association of EMS Physicians hesitates to abandon the term "emergency medical services". Delivery of emergency care is a core mission of our profession. While types of care that"assist individuals, families and communities in attaining, re-attaining, and maintaining optimal health" may also be non-emergent and delivered by EMS professionals, acknowledgment of the core mission in the name has value.

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* 6. Recommendation 2: Officially recognize and promulgate an all-inclusive standard generic term for all healthcare providers performing within the field of paramedicine, regardless of certification or licensure (in the same way that the fire service is populated by firefighters, and the nursing profession is populated by nurses).

 

The National Association of EMS Physicians should support use of a generic term (e.g. paramedic, medic, etc.) to generically describe professionals licensed by the state EMS office.

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* 7. It will still be necessary to have professional designations that delineate the education, training and scope of practice of the provider.

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* 8. Changes in nomenclature at the state level may require inordinate lobbying of state legislators to effect the change, especially in cases where the nomenclature is defined in statute.

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* 9. Consider the following statements: 

A.    "EMS clinicians" include physicians, physician assistants, nurses and nurse practitioners, paramedics, AEMTs, EMTs, EMRs, and any other healthcare provider delivering care in an EMS system. _________ is the supervised practice of medicine provided by paramedics, AEMTs, EMTs, and EMRs.
Please rank the options with "1" being the MOST desirable and "4" being the LEAST desirable.

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* 10. B. __________ is the provision of healthcare using patient-centered resources in the out-of-hospital environment.
Please rank the options with "1" being the MOST desirable and "4" being the LEAST desirable.

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* 11. C.   __________ is provided by a wide array of healthcare entities and practitioners that are administratively or clinically integrated with EMS agencies.
Please rank the options with "1" being the MOST desirable and "4" being the LEAST desirable.

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* 12. D1.      _____(1)_____ is the totality of the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by individuals certified and/or licensed as EMS practitioners. These practitioners are referred to as various levels of paramedics, AEMTs, EMTs, EMR. This can be inclusive of other healthcare clinicians who are administratively or clinically integrated with _____(2)_____.

The following responses for blank (1)
Please rank the options with "1" being the MOST desirable and "4" being the LEAST desirable.

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* 13. D2.      _____(1)_____ is the totality of the roles, responsibilities, and services provided by individuals certified and/or licensed as EMS practitioners. These practitioners are referred to as various levels of paramedics, AEMTs, EMTs, EMR. This can be inclusive of other healthcare clinicians who are administratively or clinically integrated with _____(2)_____.

The following responses for blank (2)
Please rank the options with "1" being the MOST desirable and "3" being the LEAST desirable.

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