Cue the Sirens: All About EMS
Cue the Sirens: All About EMS
May 1, 2024
We deal with EMS providers on the daily, but do we really understand their world? Dr. Lizzii Le chats with Dr. Kelly Tillotson and Dr. Luke Wohlford, who were previously EMS providers before becoming emergency physicians, to give us a deeper dive into what exactly goes into the field.
Host
Elizabeth Le, MD
Mercy Health - St. Rita's
@LizziiLeMed
EMRA*Cast Episodes
Guests
Kelly Tillotson, MD
University of Cincinnati EM Residency
EMRA Prehospital & Disaster Medicine Chair, 2023
@kellytillotson2
Luke Wohlford, MD, MPH
University of Vermont EM Residency
EMRA Prehospital & Disaster Medicine Chair, 2024
@retinueofblue
OVERVIEW
What do we, as doctors, truly know about EMS? We deal with EMS providers on the daily, but do we really understand their world? Dr. Lizzii Le chats with Dr. Kelly Tillotson and Dr. Luke Wohlford, who were previously EMS providers before becoming emergency physicians, to give us a deeper dive into what exactly goes into the field.
TAKE-HOME POINTS
- EMS providers are skilled at stabilizing patients despite having very limited knowledge of the patient's history – even less knowledge than the emergency medicine physician in the ED. This requires unique skills and protocols.
- EMS providers have different levels, including: EMR (Emergency Medical Responder), EMT (Emergency Medical Technician), AEMT (Advanced EMT), and NRP (Nationally Registered Paramedic).
- Each level of training dictates the provider's scope of practice.
- There are also different systems and agency models across the U.S. and the globe.
- When transporting a patient from the emergency department to another location, it is also helpful to know the transport vehicle team's capabilities (ALS vs. BLS vs. critical care, etc.).
