Prehospital Quality Improvement
Quality Improvement for EMS Agencies
Quality Improvement is an ongoing strategic process of identifying areas needing improvement and then making positive, meaningful, and measurable interventions towards change. A Quality Improvement Committee is easy and simple to establish and can influence improved care through proactive means.
The below link takes you to the New York State Quality Improvement Manual and Quick Start Guide. These resources will guide you through the process of selecting a committee, identifying an area of need, using a quality measure, evaluating performance, making changes based on a driver diagram, and using Plan / Do / Study / Act cycles to continually improve systems of care.
Also below are nationally recognized, evidence-based quality measures of excellence from the National EMS Quality Alliance and American Heart Association, approved by the NYS Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) and NYS Emergency Medical Services Council (SEMSCO).
Measures are in a chart style format, grouped by type along with a brief and then more detailed description of the measure. One link in the chart takes you to the organization where the measure originated, another to the particulars of what data you will need to complete the calculations for that particular evaluation. Many ePCR vendors even provide the data in the format of the measures above to make the calculations even easier.
Take a moment to look through the Quick Start Guide, start with only a few measures, use the manual as a resource for more in-depth information and feel free to reach out to your local Program Agency / Regional Council and Division District Chiefs for additional assistance.
Please visit the organizations in the below links for more information beyond the manual.
