The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) standards are part of a broader set of Emergency Health Services standards comprising emergency departments, trauma, and emergency medical services. They were developed in response to an expressed need by health service organizations to assess themselves against a national set of standards.
These standards are intended for ambulance services (public and private), medical transport (emergent and non-emergent), and communication services (emergency call taking and ambulance dispatch). They cover prehospital emergency health services, community paramedicine, and patient transport.
The EMS standards contain the following subsections:
Increasing community awareness and establishing strong partnerships
Building a high performing Emergency Medical Services team
Preventing infection and minimizing exposure to hazards
Safely operating EMS vehicles and equipment
Providing high quality Emergency Medical Services
Maintaining user-friendly and effective clinical information systems
Monitoring quality and achieving positive outcomes