Current emergency medical services workforce issues in the United States

TLDR: The major issues currently affecting the EMS workforce in the United States are described and the future of the workforce is at considerable risk.

Abstract: Emergency medical services (EMS) providers are a vital component of our nation’s healthcare workforce. EMS personnel care for millions of critically ill and injured patients every year, and many have recognized the need to help reduce injuries and illnesses in their communities and to provide additional care at the patient’s home. EMS personnel are some of the first responders to disasters, and they may also help prepare their communities for possible disasters. Since September 11, 2001, their responsibilities in this area have been dramatically increasing; these added responsibilities have been largely underfunded, and little effort has been made to determine how these changes will affect the EMS infrastructure. Although the nation depends on EMS as never before, the future of the workforce is at considerable risk. This paper describes the major issues currently affecting the EMS workforce in the United States. Historically, human resources have been recognized as a major area of concern for EMS. In 1996, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sponsored a taskforce to develop the EMS Agenda for the Future. The Agenda proposed the development of 14 EMS attributes. Human resources was one of those 14 priority areas. The Human Re sources section described six objectives, which included the need for adequate training, the importance of collaborative relationships with academic institutions, and the importance of occupational health research.