Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF) Journal Club

While most cardiac dysrhythmias fit nicely into a treatment algorithm, atrial fibrillation stands out as lacking clear-cut treatment guidelines. Concerns over patient outcome, risk of potential stroke, and further cardiac damage leave many agencies favoring rapid transport and limited treatment. Additionally, limited data is available to link prehospital treatment to the patient’s hospital dischar...

Mental health has long been a focus of the overall well-being of the EMS provider. However, should training in stress management start sooner, perhaps during initial education? Can meditation help improve success during paramedic training? To help answer these questions, join this month's Prehospital Care Research Forum education podcast to learn the impacts of adding a course on meditation. Speci...

The inherent risk of injury and illness comes with most jobs, more so in the first responder community. Working on the front lines during disasters, roadway collisions, and violent encounters, paramedics experience their fair share of risk. However, limited large-scale data analysis describes the injuries and illnesses paramedics face. Join this month's PCRF Journal Club as we review a study that...

Join us for this end-of-year special edition of the PCRF Education Research Journal Club when each of our panelists will share a favorite article from the educational literature in 2023.

Most of our pediatric patients cared for and transported by EMS have low acuity, which results in very favorable outcomes. Despite this, EMS providers still experience adverse safety encounters while caring for pediatric patients. Join this month's PCRF Journal Club as we review a study that evaluated the frequency, type, and potential harm from these adverse safety encounters across 15 EMS Agenci...

Can students in self-directed endotracheal intubation training accurately and reliably self-evaluate their abilities? This paper used an algorithm-driven hybrid simulation learning method to assess competence. Including peer-to-peer practical skills training. Join us as we explore this method of learning and algorithm for assessment.

In 2012, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued guidelines on the safe transport of pediatric patients to lessen the chance of injury during ambulance transport. However, many EMS clinicians are still unfamiliar with sage transport standards and best practice recommendations in the pediatric population. Join us on the next PCRF Journal Club as we review a study that uses qualita...

EMS providers are uniquely positioned to assess for maltreatment of children and vulnerable populations. Unfortunately, EMS rates of identification and reporting are very low. In this project the authors used an escape room-based format to engage participants on a difficult topic. Join us as we explore this method of teaching and learning. Article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37318845/

The use of supraglottic airway devices during the resuscitation of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) patients is increasing across the United States and worldwide. The two most commonly used supraglottic airway devices in the United States are the King Laryngeal Tube (King-LT) and the iGel. It is unknown if design differences for the KING-LT and the iGel may translate to differential first pas...

Pediatric patient encounters are infrequent in the EMS setting and can be high risk/high acuity. Augmented reality programs that mix the virtual world with the haptics of a real-world experience, has the potential to augment learning. But is it feasible, usable, and useful in EMS? This study tested one pediatric AR simulation program on a group of EMS professionals to answer that question. Join us...

Pain management is vital to providing comprehensive care to injured children, and the decisions made in the prehospital setting profoundly impact our pediatric patients' overall experience and outcome. However, little is known about how hospital care is impacted by prehospital pain management in pediatric patients.

Where are we with Simulation Based Training (SBT) in EMS? This systematic review of current literature combed through more than 500 studies, identifying common areas of SBT in EMS, high and low fidelity use, and analyzing the setting, strengths, weaknesses and results of each. With shrinking clinical opportunities and increased accountability for competency, is simulation the answer for EMS?

Chest pain is a life-threatening symptom encountered by EMS clinicians every day that demands swift and accurate decision-making to ensure the best possible outcomes. Join us for the next PCRF Journal Club as we review the RESCUE study that delves into the effectiveness of EMS employing chest pain risk stratification tools in prehospital settings and utilizing these tools to assess the severity of...

Violence against paramedics and other healthcare professionals is an alarming and growing concern in today's society. The rising incidence of violence not only poses significant risks to the well-being of clinicians but also hinders the effective and timely delivery of patient care. Join us for the next PCRF Journal Club as we review a groundbreaking initiative that has been undertaken to evaluate...

The benefits to using ultrasound in EMS continue to grow and are proving to be lifesaving. However there continues to be wide discrepancy of how ultrasound is used, implemented, and taught. Join the Prehospital Care Research Educator Podcast this month as they discuss an air ambulances approach to training their EMS clinicians in the use of ultrasound.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in healthcare practices, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the adoption of new technologies. One area of focus has been the use of video laryngoscopy for endotracheal intubation, which has been shown to reduce the risk of viral transmission to healthcare workers while also improving the accuracy of intubation. Join the...

Live from ACCREDITCON! Grab lunch and join the team from Prehospital Care Research Forum for a discussion of current research. The PCRF journal club gathers monthly to discuss current published research affecting all facets of EMS, including topics related to EMS education. During this session, the panel will examine published papers related to accreditation. The role of accreditation in 21st cent...

One essential goal of EMS education is to promote clinical reasoning. However, assessing student learning in this dimension is challenging. This study describes the adaptation of script concordance testing, a strategy used in other professions, to assess clinical reasoning in paramedic students. Article found here: https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-023-04020-x

You arrive on the scene with your EMT partner and are immediately met by the patient and their family, obviously in distress, staring at you for help. As you begin your assessment, you realize you are unable to speak to the patient due to a language barrier. Your mind begins to race for what you can do while you hope someone on scene can help with translation. Every EMS provider has struggled to c...

Mentoring faculty to facilitate simulation properly is challenging. This qualitative research process was used to derive a deliberate series of formative assessments designed to prepare simulation faculty and to evaluate their readiness to facilitate learning using simulation effectively. Article: https://www.ijohs.com/read/article/pdf/spj2oYYBEgXBsCdHRpLD#

There is no doubt EMS providers are caring for an increase in opioid-related incidents in the United States and worldwide, leading to compassion fatigue and burnout. However, little is known about these patient encounters beyond the fact that they are increasing. Join us for the next PCRF Journal Club as we review a 7-year study aimed at redefining and categorizing these opioid-related incidents u...

The variety and use of virtual reality teaching tools is increasing. This study compares learning retention of tourniquet application of EMTs who used virtual reality as a refresher learning strategy compared with a control group.

Patients with repeat EMS encounters within 72 hours represent an important patient population to better understand risks and resource utilization, yet limited data exist describing characteristics of these encounters. Come join us on the next PCRF Journal Club as we review a study that describes patients who had more than one EMS encounter within 72 hours and compares them to patients who did not...

As out-of-hospital medicine evolves, emergency medical services (EMS) education practices must also be updated to ensure that EMS professionals acquire and maintain the skills needed to best serve patients. Join the authors who identified and ranked the top 10 research priorities related to EMS education in the United States.

While studies have found that EMS compliance with recommended prehospital care for patients with acute stroke is inconsistent, little is known about the sources of variability in compliance. Join us as we review a study that utilizes linked statewide stroke registry and EMS data to explore patient and EMS agency-level contributions to variability in prehospital stroke care.