Investigating Rural Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Infrastructure: A Developmental Methodology for Measuring the Availability of EMS Resources
Author: South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
Date Published: 2004
This report examines the differences between the definition of what emergency care should include and the reality of what is available especially for residents in rural communities. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) has been defined as a total and complete system that is capable to respond to the medical and surgical emergencies of a community with prompt and adequate emergency care. Beyond a broad definition, agreed-upon measures of EMS infrastructure are not available. Rural and frontier communities are known to experience shortages of physicians, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals and may lack sufficient and adequate EMS resources.
Date Published: 2004
This report examines the differences between the definition of what emergency care should include and the reality of what is available especially for residents in rural communities. Emergency Medical Service (EMS) has been defined as a total and complete system that is capable to respond to the medical and surgical emergencies of a community with prompt and adequate emergency care. Beyond a broad definition, agreed-upon measures of EMS infrastructure are not available. Rural and frontier communities are known to experience shortages of physicians, nurses, dentists, and other health professionals and may lack sufficient and adequate EMS resources.
