scholarly journals Emergency care education in South Africa: past, present and future

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simpiwe Sobuwa ◽  
Lloyd Denzil Christopher
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Care Education ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
The Many ◽  
And Training

There have been major changes in pre-hospital emergency care training and education in South African over the past 30 years. This has culminated in the publication of a regulation that brings an end to an era of short courses in emergency care and paves the way for the implementation of the National Emergency Care Education and Training (NECET) policy. The policy envisions a 1-year higher certificate, a 2-year diploma and the 4-year professional degree in emergency medical care. This paper aims to describe the history of emergency care education and training in South Africa that culminated in the NECET policy. The lessons in the professional development of pre-hospital emergency care education and training may have application for emergency medical services in other countries.The migration of existing emergency medical services personnel to the new higher education qualification structure is a major challenge. The transition to the new framework will take time due to the many challenges that must be overcome before the vision of the policy is realised. Ongoing engagement with all stakeholders is necessary for the benefits envisioned in the NECET policy to be realised.  

scholarly journals Management of COVID-19-related challenges faced by EMS personnel: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fateme Mohammadi ◽  
Banafsheh Tehranineshat ◽  
Mostafa Bijani ◽  
Ali Asghar Khaleghi
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Professional Performance ◽  
Professional Challenges ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Emergency Medical Services Personnel

Abstract Background As the first link in the chain of providing healthcare services in the frontline of the battle against COVID-19, emergency medical services (EMS) personnel are faced with various challenges, which affect their professional performance. The present study aimed to identify some strategies to manage the COVID-19-related challenges faced by the pre-hospital emergency care personnel in the south of Iran. Methods In this qualitative descriptive study, 27 pre-hospital emergency care personnel who were selected through the purposeful sampling method. Data were collected through 27 semi-structured, in-depth, individual interviews. The collected data were then analyzed based on the Granheim and Lundman’s method. Results Analysis of the data resulted in the identification of 3 main themes and eight sub-themes. These three main themes were as follows: comprehensive and systematic planning, provision of medical equipment, and reduction of professional challenges. Conclusion The findings of the present study showed that, during the COVID-19 crisis, emergency medical services personnel should be provided with a comprehensive and systematic protocol to provide pre-hospital care and their performance should be assessed in terms of a set of scientific standards. Due to lack of equipment and work overload in the current crisis, emergency medical services personnel are faced with many psychological challenges, which adversely affect their quality of pre-hospital emergency care. Furthermore, emergency care senior managers should develop comprehensive protocols, provide more equipment, and eliminate professional challenges to pave the ground for improving the quality and safety of the healthcare services in pre-hospital emergency care during the current COVID-19 crisis.

scholarly journals “Dying due to poverty and lack of easy transport”: A qualitative study on access and availability of pre-hospital emergency medical services in Kampala, Uganda

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber Mehmood ◽  
Shirin Wadhwaniya ◽  
Esther Bayiga Zziwa ◽  
Olive C Kobusingye
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Hospital Emergency ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Emergency Medical

Abstract Background Emergency care services in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) have traditionally received less attention in the dominant culture favouring vertical health programs. The unmet needs of pre-hospital and hospital-based emergency services are high but the barriers to accessing safe and quality emergency medical services (EMS) remain largely unaddressed. Few studies in Sub-Saharan Africa have qualitatively investigated barriers to EMS use, and quality of pre-hospital services from the providers and community perspective. We conducted a qualitative study to describe the patient-centred approach to emergency care in Kampala, Uganda, with specific attention to access to EMS.Methods The data collection was comprised of Key Informant Interviews (KII) and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with the community members. KII participants were selected using maximum purposive sampling based on expert knowledge of emergency care systems, and service delivery. FGDs were conducted to understand perceptions and experiences towards access to pre-hospital care, and to explore barriers to utilization of EMS. The respondents of ten KII and seven FGDs included pre-hospital EMS (PEMS) administrators, policy makers, police, health workers and community members. We conducted a directed content analysis to identify key themes and triangulate findings across different informant groups.Results Key themes emerged across interviews and discussions concerning: (1) lack of funds, (2) lack of standards, (3) need for upfront payments for emergency transport and care, 4) corruption, 5) poor quality pre-hospital emergency service, 6) poor quality hospital emergency care, and 7) delay in seeking treatment.Conclusions Patient-centred emergency care should be an integral part of comprehensive health care services. As Uganda and other LMICs continue to strive for universal health coverage, it is critical to prioritize and integrate emergency care within health systems owing to its cross-cutting nature. Community perceptions around access and quality of PEMS should be addressed in national policies covering affordable and safe EMS.

The State of Leadership Education in Emergency Medical Services: A Multi-national Qualitative Study

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 478-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Joseph Leggio
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
The State ◽  
Leadership Education ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Publication Type ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Medical Education And Training ◽  
And Training

AbstractObjectiveThis study investigated how leadership is learned in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) from a multi-national perspective by interviewing EMS providers from multiple nations working in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.MethodsA phenomenological, qualitative methodology was developed and 19 EMS providers from multiple nations were interviewed in June 2013. Interview questions focused on how participants learned EMS leadership as an EMS student and throughout their careers as providers. Data were analyzed to identify themes, patterns, and codes to be used for final analysis to describe findings.ResultsEmergency Medical Services leadership is primarily learned from informal mentoring and on-the-job training in less than supportive environments. Participants described learning EMS leadership during their EMS education. A triangulation of EMS educational resources yielded limited results beyond being a leader of patient care. The only course that yielded results from triangulation was EMS Management. The need to develop EMS leadership courses was supported by the findings. Findings also supported the need to include leadership education as part of continuing medical education and training.ConclusionEmergency Medical Services leadership education that prepares students for the complexities of the profession is needed. Likewise, the need for EMS leadership education and training to be part of continuing education is supported. Both are viewed as a way to advance the EMS profession. A need for further research on the topic of EMS leadership is recognized, and supported, with a call for action on suggested topics identified within the study.LeggioWJJr. The state of leadership education in Emergency Medical Services: a multi-national qualitative study. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(5):1-6.

scholarly journals Estimating the emergency care workforce in South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Tiwari ◽  
Raveen Naidoo ◽  
René English ◽  
Usuf Chikte
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Disaster Medicine ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Human Right ◽  
Policy Interventions ◽  
Department Of Health ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Regulation Policy

Background: Emergency care is viewed as a fundamental human right in South Africa’s constitution. In the public sector, all emergency medical services (EMS) come under the Directorate: Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine at the National Department of Health (NDoH), which provides regulation, policy and oversight guidance to provincial structures.Aim: The aim of the study is to understand the supply and status of human resources for EMS in South Africa.Setting: This research was undertaken for South Africa using the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) database from 2002 to 2019.Methods: A retrospective record-based review of the HPCSA database was undertaken to estimate the current registered and future need for emergency care personnel forecasted up to 2030.Results: There are 76% Basic Ambulance Assistants registered with HPCSA. An additional 96 000 personnel will be required in 2030 to maintain the current ratio of 95.9 registered emergency care personnel per 100 000 population. The profile of an emergency care personnel employed in South Africa is likely to be a black male in the age group of 30–39-years, residing in one of the economically better-resourced provinces.Conclusion: It is time that the current educational framework is revised. Policy interventions must be undertaken to avoid future shortages of the trained emergency care personnel within South Africa.

Guidelines for Pediatric Emergency Care Facilities

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 526-537
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Pediatric Emergency ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Trained Personnel ◽  
Pediatric Emergency Care

Emergency care for life-threatening pediatric illness and injury requires specialized resources including equipment, drugs, trained personnel, and facilities. The American Medical Association Commission on Emergency Medical Services has provided guidelines for the categorization of hospital pediatric emergency facilities that have been endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).1 This document was used as the basis for these revised guidelines, which define: 1. The desirable characteristics of a system of Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMSC) that may help achieve a reduction in mortality and morbidity, including long-term disability. 2. The role of health care facilities in identifying and organizing the resources necessary to provide the best possible pediatric emergency care within a region. 3. An integrated system of facilities that provides timely access and appropriate levels of care for all critically ill or injured children. 4. The responsibility of the health cane facility for support of medical control of pre-hospital activities and the pediatric emergency care and education of pre-hospital providers, nurses, and physicians. 5. The role of pediatric centers in providing outreach education and consultation to community facilities. 6. The role of health cane facilities for maintaining communication with the medical home of the patient. Children have their emergency care needs met in a variety of settings, from small community hospitals to large medical centers. Resources available to these health care sites vary, and they may not always have the necessary equipment, supplies, and trained personnel required to meet the special needs of pediatric patients during emergency situations.

Abstract WP261: Non-English-preferring Patients Have No Differences in Stroke Symptom Recognition or Emergency Care Time Metrics

Stroke ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaw Natsui ◽  
Khawja A Siddiqui ◽  
Betty L Erfe ◽  
Nicte I Mejia ◽  
Lee H Schwamm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Similar Response ◽  
Language Preference ◽  
Emergency Department Care ◽  
Hospital Arrival ◽  
Stroke Symptom ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Significant Difference

Introduction: The influence of patients’ language preference on the delivery of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) care in the pre-hospital and in-hospital emergency care settings is scarcely known. We hypothesize that stroke knowledge differences may be associated with non-English preferring (NEP) patients having slower time from symptom discovery to hospital presentation and less engagement of emergency medical services (EMS) than English preferring (EP) patients. Language barriers may also interfere with the delivery of time-sensitive emergency department care. Objectives: To identify whether language preference is associated with differences in patients’ time from stroke symptom discovery to hospital arrival, activation of emergency medical services, door-to-imaging time (DIT), and door-to-needle (DTN) time. Methods: We identified consecutive AIS patients presenting to a single urban, tertiary, academic center between 01/2003-04/2014. Data was abstracted from the institution’s Research Patient Data Registry and Get with the Guidelines-Stroke Registry. Bivariate and regression models evaluated the relationship between language preference and: 1) time from symptom onset to hospital arrival, 2) use of EMS, 3) DIT, and 4) DTN time. Results: Of 3,190 AIS patients who met inclusion/exclusion criteria, 9.4% were NEP (n=300). Time from symptom discovery to arrival, and EMS utilization were not significantly different between NEP and EP patients in unadjusted or adjusted analyses (overall median time 157 minutes, IQR 55-420; EMS utilization: 65% vs. 61.3% p=0.21). There was no significant difference between NEP and EP patients in DIT or in likelihood of DIT ≤ 25 minutes in unadjusted or adjusted analyses (overall median 59 minutes, IQR 29-127; DIT ≤ 25 minutes 24.3% vs. 21.3% p=0.29). There was also no significant different in DTN time or in likelihood of DTN ≤ 60 minutes in unadjusted or adjusted analyses (overall median 53 minutes, IQR 36-73; DTN ≤ 60 minutes 62.5% vs. 58.2% p=0.60). Conclusion: Non-English-preferring patients have similar response to stroke symptoms as reflected by EMS utilization and time from symptom discovery to hospital arrival. Similarly, NEP patients have no differences in in-hospital AIS care metrics of DIT and DTN time.

scholarly journals African drumbeats: a first conference on emergency medicine

CJEM ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 1 (01) ◽  
pp. 44-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Garth Dickinson
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Private Sector ◽  
Emergency Medical Services ◽  
Penetrating Trauma ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Limited Resources ◽  
Medical Services ◽  
Emergency Medical ◽  
Important Milestone

SUMMARY: Africa’s first conference on emergency medicine was held in October 1998 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Attended by 305 delegates from 13 countries, it was an important milestone in the development of Africa, emergency medicine’s last frontier. The violence of South Africa’s post-apartheid society was portrayed in mock scenario demonstrations of the private sector emergency medical services (EMS) system. Many of the presentations had a distinctly African flavour; they dealt with penetrating trauma and with making the best of extremely limited resources. A session reviewing the activities of traditional healers was not only terrifyingly revealing, it also upset and offended a segment of the African audience. The conference ended positively with the creation of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa, a step toward recognition of emergency medicine as a specialty in Africa.

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