b'PACEP EMS, DISASTER, AND TERRORISM PREPAREDNESS COMMITTEEUpdates on Quality Improvement for EMSBy Christopher Berry, MD, FACEPsystem can be broken down andevaluates the usage of lights and sirens examined. The four lenses as describedto the scene. We know that lights and by Deming are the appreciation ofsirens usage is high risk and with low a system, knowledge of variation,return with regard the majority of theory of knowledge and psychiatry.our patients outcomes. SAFETY01 By examining as system through eachis defined as the percentage of EMS of these lenses, a medical directorresponses originating from a 911 and quality improvement personnelrequest in which lights and sirens were can gain a truer understanding of theNOT used in response. To evaluate system in which care is provided bythis, you can go to your PCR software their EMS providers.and derive the numerator of number Christopher Berry, MD, FACEP However, there of 911 responses without use of lights begs the questionand sirens and the PACEP EMS DTP Committee Co-Chairas to where andenominator of EMS MedicalWe at the EMS and Disastertotal number of 911 Director is toPreparedness Committeeresponses. Often it is A core facet of medical oversite forstart? There aregreatly encourage allhelpful to plot this out EMS medical direction is the abilityso many potentialPennsylvania EMS Medicalover time to establish to evaluate and effect the quality ofmarkers ofDirectors to develop QIa baseline. Once this care provided by their prehospitalquality to follow,baseline is established, colleagues. This exists in severalinitiatives within their ownyou can apply the forms; a classic activity for this is theit is hard to pickagencies and to collaborateSystem of Profound case review, in which an EMS Medicalwhere to be theregionally and state-wide toKnowledge to identify Director reviews a specific chart formost effective.improve prehospital care. opportunities for opportunities for improvement. TheseFortunately,improvement in your Quality Assurance (QA) activities maytaking bites outsystem and develop be put in place to review high risk, lowof the elephantyour first Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) frequency events, such as advanceddoes not have to be such a challenge.cycle to reduce lights and sirens usage.airway management or cardiac arrestThe National EMS Quality AllianceWe at the EMS and Disaster care, or for review of sentinel events,(NEMSQA) has published qualityPreparedness Committee greatly complaints or other quality of caremeasures that are markers of highencourage all Pennsylvania EMS concerns. While QA activities areperformance for EMS systems. TheseMedical Directors to develop QI potentially revealing of system levelmeasures were originally published ininitiatives within their own agencies issues, particularly when viewed from2019, with ten new measures addedand to collaborate regionally and a Just Culture approach, they mayin 2023 for a total of 21 measures.state-wide to improve prehospital not be revealing of overall systemThese measures either evaluatecare. Please reach out if you need performance.outcomes or processes and groupingassistance or join the EMS and Quality Improvement (QI), on the otherinclude measures to evaluate systemDisaster Preparedness Committee to hand, focuses on improvement ofairway, respiratory and trauma carecollaborate with your peers here at care on a system level via a systematicperformance, among others.PACEP. Meetings are scheduled for approach. A core of this approachAs an example, let us look at a NEMSQAevery third Monday at 11 AM.is Demings System for ProfoundmeasureSAFETY - 01. This measure Knowledge, a process in which a 12 PACEP News | Winter 2024'