The Ultimate Guide to International EMS in Healthcare

Posted on May 29, 2019

What is International EMS and how does it play a role in providing healthcare services globally

An Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is a comprehensive system, developed to ensure that patients struck by sudden illness or injury, receive health and safety services; in order to prevent mortality and morbidity. In simple terms, Emergency medical services serve as the gateway for accessing secondary and tertiary services, when a medical emergency arises.

Since Emergency medical services is a complex and integrated system, all its components play a pivotal role to allow a smooth and seamless EMS system. The four main components of an EMS function can be broken down into: emergency care assessment, community/shared care, care en route, and ongoing care after arrival. These components of Emergency medical services can be further broken down in the following:

  • Both private and public agencies and firms
  • Transportation and communication networks
  • Hospitals, trauma systems & centers, speciality care centers and rehabilitation facilities
  • Highly experienced and trained professionals, comprising: volunteers, physicians, nurses, therapists, administrators and government officials
  • And most importantly, the community.

An Emergency medical services system is based on principles and resources. Working in the community enables EMS providers to foresee and identify health problems and issues. It is through EMS that significant health problems are directed to the emergency departments. Even through the primary purpose of EMS providers is to deliver emergency medical care; they need to work with public safety, law enforcement and fire services to effectively respond to all kinds of emergencies.

In places where proper EMS systems have been established, providers can capably administer controlled medications and perform invasive procedures; whereby enabling them to make complex clinical decisions and even pronounce death. Across the globe, emergency medical service providers, employ advanced clinical technology to deal with trauma and medical emergencies. Developments in medical technology has enabled EMS international to introduce compact monitoring systems - allowing them to monitor patients in uncontrolled pre-hospital setups.

Through EMS international guidelines; personnel, facilities and equipment are effectively managed to deliver well-coordinated and timely care to victims of sudden and life-threatening injuries or emergencies. EMS international has grown to the extent that it now contributes and exerts a certain control over health care systems globally: regarded by the World Health Organization as an integral part of any effectively functioning health care system.