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Improving the Quality of International EMS Development

As modern technologies make it easier to understand the acute healthcare needs of developing countries, EMS professionals are looking for ways to increase their involvement in solving these problems. This is an encouraging sign – recent events in Haiti, Pakistan and Indonesia have shown in vivid detail the importance of basic emergency response capabilities. Due to our invaluable cross-training in both public health and public safety sectors, EMS professionals are uniquely qualified to work effectively in austere environments. However, these skill-sets are often overlooked in global health initiatives and disaster response efforts.

Research and experience have shown that the most effective way to improve emergency preparedness and response capabilities in developing countries is not by occasional training sessions and intermittent field exercises, but rather by strengthening day-to-day emergency response services. In developing countries where even the most basic emergency response systems are lacking, offering basic medical training, improving access to healthcare through organized transport networks, and establishing simple communications systems will help to establish the foundation of low-cost/high-impact emergency response services.

But while EMS development may seem a relatively easy initiative to implement, it is far easier to get wrong – and expensively wrong, at that.

A long history of experiences in global health development have provided us with ample warning that we must proceed with caution. While the past twenty years have seen an explosion in support for global health initiatives, many of these efforts have produced results that have had no lasting effect, or have often caused more problems than existed beforehand. Unfortunately, EMS initiatives often fall into the second category, reinforcing the unofficial motto of many development experts that, “Good intentions are not good enough.”

Nevertheless, EMS development plays an extremely important function in any community’s healthcare system, and it is something which EMS professionals are uniquely qualified to participate in, as we have exceptional insights as to what really happens in the field.

These posts are an attempt to discuss the need for EMS development in impoverished communities, and analyze how it can be done most effectively, in order to ensure that our efforts improve outcomes in the prehospital setting while strengthening the healthcare system as a whole. Through effective and sustainable practices that meet the specific needs of the communities we work with, EMS development can support existing healthcare services and serve as a catalyst for improvement in neglected or non-existent services, in both the public health and public safety sectors.

Topics and Discussions in International EMS Development

The details involved in developing prehospital care systems can be as complex as the societies and cultures that need them. Nevertheless, we hope to begin to address some of the larger themes and issues here below, and expect to add more as our experiences continue to broaden. So in order to keep these discussions in line with our community-based approach to EMS development, we encourage our readers to add their own comments. Also, if you have any specific topic or case study which you’d like us to review and/or discuss, please feel free to contact us at: info@trekmedics.org

Why EMS Abroad is Important

Whether it’s traumatic injuries, maternal health, referral transport systems, disaster preparedness or prevention programs, basic prehospital systems can have a significant impact. This post discusses why EMS systems in developing countries are important, and why we should care.

Mitigating the Global Burden of Road Traffic Injuries

When Accidental Death and Disability was published in 1966, the National Academy of Sciences included a subtitle that raised many eyebrows – “the Neglected Disease of Modern Society.” In the decades that have followed, the US and many other countries have made significant strides in both creating awareness about, and dealing with injury, particularly as it pertains to road traffic accidents.

However, what the US was dealing with in 1966 is exactly what most of the developing world is dealing with today. This article describes the global burden of road traffic injuries, and offers a few insights as to how EMS professionals can help lead efforts to reverse these overwhelming trends.

Ambulance Donations

If you’re think of donating an ambulance to a developing community, following two simple rules can go a long way:

Rule 1. Do The Homework (remember: “Good intentions aren’t good enough”)
Rule 2. When in doubt, sell the ambulance for scrap and send the cash

This article will help you with Rule 1, and will hopefully convince you Rule 2 is the best way to go if you can’t complete Rule 1.

H. H. Windsor, Wikimedia Commons

Alternative Transport Networks for Developing Countries – The “Golf Bag” Approach

(Coming soon!) Following our discussion of ambulance donations, this post seeks to detail the various transportation alternatives to traditional ambulance-based networks. By considering the “Golf Bag” approach, development initiatives will be able to better assess the communities they’re working in and select the most appropriate transport vehicles to improve access – and save a whole lot of wasted money.

CPR in Developing Countries: To Train or Not To Train

(Coming soon!) Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has saved countless lives thanks to the ease with which it can be taught to laypeople. While the American Heart Association continues to simplify CPR protocols, there still remains an extraordinary amount of complex and expensive support to make CPR work. This post examines everything that happens “behind the scenes” of CPR, and analyzes whether or not CPR should be taught in developing countries, and if so, when?

The 7 Myths of EMS in Developing Countries

(Coming soon!) This series will attempt to examine the seven most common arguments against creating EMS systems in developing countries, looking at both the mistakes and merits behind each of the arguments, and providing a way to address them.

1. “Prehospital Emergency Care is Very Expensive”
2. “Prehospital Emergency Care is Futile Unless It’s Advanced Care”
3. “Prehospital Training Programs are Expensive and Complex”
4. “Funding Should Be Used to Strengthen Existing Healthcare Services”
5. “Ambulances are the Best Mode of Transportation”
6. “An Effective Prehospital System Needs a North American-/European-style Emergency Communications System”
7. “Advanced Prehospital Systems in North America & Europe are the Gold Standard for EMS systems”

How to Get Involved in EMS Development (And Actually Make a Difference)

(Coming soon!) While opportunities to get involved in EMS development initiatives are quite limited, this post will help interested EMS professionals in exploring opportunities that exist, as well as ways to begin their own.