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Emergency Medical Services

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Emergency medical services (EMS) teams often provide out-of-hospital acute medical care and transport, and emergency room (ER) staff treat acutely ill or injured individuals in hospital settings. To maximize EMS and ER effectiveness and availability, RAND research provides policymakers with critical information, analyses, and recommendations on the coordination, communication, performance, protection, and training of these public health professionals.

Report
Strategies for Improving Prehospital Outcomes for Cardiac Arrest
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a common, life-threatening event that is a leading cause of death in the United States. RAND researchers identified 49 strategies to improve OHCA survival and the delivery of care.
Jul 20, 2022
Commentary
Will the New 988 Hotline Be a Game Changer for Mental Health or a Missed Opportunity?
Someone dies from suicide in the United States every 11 minutes, a rate that has increased almost 30 percent since 2000. The 988 mental health hotline will launch on July 16, but states need to clear significant hurdles: funding the expanded crisis response system and making sure people know it's available.
Jun 20, 2022

Explore Emergency Medical Services

Journal Article
Veteran Knowledge, Perceptions, and Receipt of Care Following Visits to VA Emergency Departments for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions
Using explanatory sequential mixed methods, we interviewed Veterans with follow-up care needs after ACSC-related ED visits, and manually reviewed ED notes, abstracting interviewees' documented follow-up needs and care received.
Apr 27, 2023
Journal Article
Association Between Hospital Adoption of an Emergency Department Treatment Pathway for Opioid Use Disorder and Patient Initiation of Buprenorphine After Discharge
Researchers evaluated the association between hospitals attesting to an emergency department buprenorphine treatment Opioid Hospital Quality Improvement Program (O-HQIP) pathway and patients' subsequent initiation of buprenorphine treatment.
Apr 20, 2023
Journal Article
Changes in Poison Center Calls for Intentional Exposure During Public Health Emergencies: COVID-19 and Winter Storm Uri in Dallas County, Texas
This study explored changes in the volume of calls to poison control centers for intentional exposures in Dallas County, Texas. Changes in call volume varied by gender and age and increased during the local COVID-19 surge.
Mar 23, 2023
Journal Article
Gender Differences in Patients' Experience of Care in the Emergency Department
Previous work has reported gender differences in diagnosis and treatment in ED settings. However, little is known about gender differences in patient experience in the ED, though such differences are reported in other settings.
Jan 25, 2023
Journal Article
Legal Review of State Emergency Medical Services Policies and Protocols for Naloxone Administration
We provide data on the authority of providers at different emergency medical services licensure levels to administer naloxone. We also describe relevant policies regarding which administration routes and dosages are permitted for each licensure level.
Aug 2, 2022
Blog
U.S. Labor Market, 988 Hotline, Firearm Homicides: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the U.S. economy’s uneven pandemic recovery, a new national mental health hotline, firearm homicides, and more.
Jul 22, 2022
Multimedia
988 Mental Health Hotline: Connecting People to Care
RAND researchers Stephanie Brooks Holliday and Ryan K. McBain describe findings from their recent work that examined how prepared states and counties are for the launch of 988, the new mental health emergency hotline.
Jul 15, 2022
Blog
Overturning Roe, a New Mental Health Hotline, Russia: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how repealing Roe v. Wade could affect women in the military, whether America is prepared to launch a new emergency mental health hotline, Russia's war in Ukraine, and more.
Jul 1, 2022
Blog
RAND's New President, the U.S. Foreign Service, Transportation Equity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on RAND's next president and CEO, Jason Matheny, insights into Americans' views on diplomacy and diplomats, solutions for transportation equity, and more.
Jun 10, 2022
News Release
Preparedness Appears Low for Rollout of National 988 Mental Health Hotline
A survey of a large group of public health officials responsible for helping to roll out the nation's new 988 emergency mental health telephone service found that fewer than half expressed confidence their jurisdiction was prepared in terms of financing, staffing, or infrastructure.
Jun 2, 2022
Tool
Mental Health Emergency Hotlines in the United States: An Evidence Inventory (2012–2021)
This tool provides summary information to policymakers and agency administrators regarding studies on mental health emergency hotlines in the United States.
Jun 2, 2022
Journal Article
Reducing Opioid Overdose Deaths by Expanding Naloxone Distribution and Addressing Structural Barriers to Care
Qualitatively synthesizing evidence from six systematic reviews, the authors conclude that OEND programs generally produce beneficial outcomes across all domains considered, although the authors' ratings for the strength of the evidence are often "limited" or "moderate."
Feb 1, 2022
Multimedia
From 9/11 to COVID-19: What Have We Learned About U.S. Preparedness?
RAND senior physical scientist Brian Jackson discusses emergency preparedness in the United States and lessons still being learned as the nation faces a global health crisis.
Sep 10, 2021
Multimedia
Pandemic Response: Strategies for Increasing Critical Care Capacity
RAND senior physician policy researcher Mahshid Abir describes a study aimed at identifying strategies for increasing critical care capacity in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Aug 27, 2021
Research Brief
The Future of Combat Casualty Care: Is the Military Health System Ready?
The Military Health System will need to implement a portfolio of mitigation strategies to ensure an agile, resilient, and global network of capabilities and a robust industrial supply base to effectively treat combat casualties in future conflicts.
Jul 26, 2021
Report
Preparing for the Future of Combat Casualty Care: Opportunities to Refine the Military Health System's Alignment with the National Defense Strategy
The Military Health System needs an agile, resilient, and global network of treatment and storage facilities and transportation assets, as well as knowledge of gaps and risks that could hinder effective medical support for future combat operations.
Jul 26, 2021
Journal Article
Supporting Prioritisation of Mental Health Funding Related to Urgent and Emergency Care in the East of England: A Guide for Integrated Care Systems and Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships
This guide has been prepared to help ICS/STPs with determining spending priorities within mental health urgent and emergency care.
Apr 30, 2021
Journal Article
Prevalence and Predictors of Driving After Prescription Opioid Use in an Adult ED Sample
Prescription opioid use and driving is a public health concern given the risks associated with drugged driving. We examined the prevalence and correlates of driving after taking prescription opioids among adults seeking emergency department treatment.
Jul 31, 2020

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RAND Topic:
Emergency Medical Services

Topic Synonyms:
Emergency Medicine;
EMS

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Mahshid Abir

Senior Physician Policy Researcher

Mahshid Abir is a senior physician policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Also a practicing emergency physician, Abir's research evaluates the continuum of acute care delivery, including pre-hospital, emergency, inpatient, and ambulatory care, with a focus on policy-related issues pertaining…
Edward W. Chan

Senior Operations Researcher

Edward Chan is a senior operations researcher at the RAND Corporation. He applies techniques such as process mapping, failure mode analysis, and mathematical modeling to a variety of readiness and preparedness problems in the security arena, be that homeland security, national security, or…

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