Rethinking Emergency Medical Services Staffing and Delivery

The National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians’ (NAEMT’s) Joint Task Force on EMS Response Staffing Configurations, a collaborative national emergency medical services (EMS) organization, published Rethinking Emergency Medical Services: Applying Evidence and Data to Redesign Response Models for a Resilient and Sustainable Future PDF.

The white paper provides recommendations based on patient outcome data from peer-reviewed studies analyzing the impact of response times and EMS staffing levels. By incorporating this research, the guidelines offer evidence-based strategies to improve patient care while optimizing resources.

The current EMS model prioritizes short response times and advanced life support staffing. Recent evidence-based research indicates that response times have minimal impact on patient outcomes. In most cases, only 6.9% of EMS patients require potentially life-saving interventions. The ongoing staffing crisis underscores the need for a more sustainable, data-driven approach to system design.

The task force included representation from NAEMT, the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration, the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Association of EMS Physicians, the National Association of State EMS Officials and the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.