EMS Education

Insufficient academic commitment to EMS research has also been identified as an important impediment to progress in the development of a body of scientific knowledge necessary for the support of EMS practices.¹ Those educational institutions that chose to offer EMS training programs must integrate research into the process of developing entry-level EMS professionals. Successful integration requires using scientific evidence as the basis for education and fulfilling the traditional academic role of contributing to the evidence base.

The amount of education about research principles currently provided to EMS professionals is limited at best. Education about EMS research is virtually non-existent in most EMT-Basic programs. Although research methodology is part of the National Standard Curriculum for EMT-Paramedics, most EMS educational institutions provide little time for it in their training programs. Some degree granting paramedic education programs do include a research component in their curricula, and a few require students to complete a research project prior to completion of the program.

Educational programs are not teaching research principles because many EMS educators are not knowledgeable about the process of research and therefore are unable to teach others. There are few resources available to assist EMS educators in teaching this material. Two national efforts aimed at improving the research education of prehospital providers are the EMS research workshops offered by National Association of EMS Physicians and the Prehospital Care Research Forum. These entry level one or two day courses are offered at national EMS conferences or by themselves for interested sponsoring organizations.

Education programs for EMS providers must keep pace with the evolving basis for clinical practice. The curricula developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which provide the basis for education of first responders, EMT-Basics, EMT-Intermediates, and EMT-Paramedics should be revised to include improved objectives regarding research principles. These objectives must emphasize the need to teach the importance of research as well as the principles involved in conducting EMS-related research, and should become a part of the routine education of EMS field providers and managers. The objective is not to develop every EMS provider into an EMS researcher but to help all personnel understand the need for research to enable them to be supportive.¹ These educational efforts should provide a working understanding of the research process and not simply encourage memorization of methodological criteria and statistical terminology.

Exposure to the scientific literature should also be an essential component of EMS education programs. The curricula should include an introduction to the critical appraisal of scientific articles and methods for asking and answering clinical questions. The curricula should also introduce the student to the methods that practicing health care professionals use to update their knowledge and practice patterns, including routine reading of scientific journals.

EMS education systems must be compatible with an academically based approach to EMS education that parallels the education process of other allied health professions. These concepts have been addressed in the EMS Education Agenda. Academic institutions that sponsor EMS education programs must make a commitment to supporting EMS research.

The process of teaching a novice EMS professional, including skill and knowledge acquisition and retention, has not been adequately studied. EMS educators in traditional academic settings are uniquely positioned to evaluate both the content of EMS curricula adequacy and the effectiveness of teaching techniques.