Chapter 1: EMS Systems

Question 1

Alternative Time Sampling

Answer 1

Time parameters that are set during a research project.

Question 2

Blinding

Answer 2

The method of not giving the specifics of a project to the people participating in a research or study.

Question 3

Case Study

Answer 3

A type of research in which a single case is investigated and documented over a period of time.

Question 4

Certification

Answer 4

A process in which a person, an institution, or a program is evaluated and recognized as meeting certain predetermined standards to provide safe and ethical care.

Question 5

Cohort Research

Answer 5

A type of research that examines patterns of change, a sequence of events, or trends over time within a certain population of study subjects.

Question 6

Commission on Accreditation for Pre-Hospital Continuing Education (CAPCE)

Answer 6

An organization that develops continuing education standards and is involved in setting accreditation standards and for prehospital providers; formerly called the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services (CECBEMS).

Question 7

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Answer 7

A system of internal and external reviews and audits of all aspects of an EMS system.

Question 8

Convenience Sampling

Answer 8

A type of research in which subjects are manually assigned to a specific person or crew, rather than being randomly assigned; the least-preferred component of research.

Question 9

Cross-Sectional Design

Answer 9

A data collection method in which all data at one point in time is collected, essentially serving as a “snapshot” of events and information.

Question 10

Descriptive

Answer 10

A research format in which an observation of an event is made, but without attempts to alter or change it.

Question 11

Emergency Medical Services (EMS)

Answer 11

A health care system designed to bring immediate on-scene care to those in need along with transport to a definitive medical care facility.

Question 12

Ethical

Answer 12

A behavior expected by a person or group following a set of rules.

Question 13

Evidence-based Practice

Answer 13

The use of practices that have been proven to be effective in improving patient outcomes.

Question 14

Health Care Professional

Answer 14

A person who follows specific professional attributes that are outlined in this profession.

Question 15

Inferential

Answer 15

A research format that uses a hypothesis to prove one finding form another.

Question 16

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Answer 16

A group or institution that follows a set of requirements for review that were devised by the US Public Health Service.

Question 17

Licensure

Answer 17

The process whereby a state allows qualified people to preform a regulated act.

Question 18

Literature Review

Answer 18

A form of research in which the existing literature is reviewed, and the researcher analyzes the collection of research to draw a conclusion.

Question 19

Longitudinal Design

Answer 19

A data collection method in which information is collected at various set time intervals, and not just at one time.

Question 20

Medical Direction

Answer 20

Direction given to an EMS system or provider by a physician.

Question 21

Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICUs)

Answer 21

An early title given to an ambulance-style unit.

Question 22

Off-line (Indirect) Medical Control

Answer 22

Medical direction given through a set of protocols, policies, and/or standards.

Question 23

Parameters

Answer 23

Outlined measures that may be difficult to obtain in a research project.

Question 24

Peer Review

Answer 24

The process used by medical magazines, journals, and other publications to ensure the quality and validity of an article before it is published, and which involves sending the article to subject matter experts for review of the content and research methods.

Question 25

Profession

Answer 25

A specialized set of knowledge, skills, and/or expertise.

Question 26

Prospective Research

Answer 26

A type of research that gathers information as events occur in real time.

Question 27

Protocol

Answer 27

A treatment plan developed for a specific illness or injury.

Question 28

Qualitative

Answer 28

A type of descriptive statistic in research that does not use numeric information.

Question 29

Quality Control

Answer 29

The responsibility of the medical director to ensure the appropriate medical care standards are met by EMS personnel on each all.

Question 30

Quantitative

Answer 30

A type of measurement in research in that uses as mean, median, and mode.

Question 31

Reciprocity

Answer 31

The process of granting licensure or certification to a provider from another state or agency.

Question 32

Registration

Answer 32

Providing information to an entity that store sit in some form of record book. In the context of EMS, records of your education, state or local licensure, and recertification are held by a recognized board.

Question 33

Research Agenda

Answer 33

The specific questions that a study aims to answer, and the precise methods in which the data will be gathered.

Question 34

Research Consortium

Answer 34

A group of agencies working together to study a particular topic.

Question 35

Research Domain

Answer 35

The area (clinical, basic science, systems, or education) that will be impacted by a study.

Question 36

Retrospective Research

Answer 36

Research performed from current available information.

Question 37

Safety Culture

Answer 37

In an EMS organization, a system of beliefs and practices that: (1) acknowledge that organizations engage in high-risk activities, (2) determine the importance of consistent safe operations to counteract these activities, (3) support a blame-free environment where errors can be reported without fear of punishment, and (4) maintain organizational commitment to address reported errors and safety concerns.

Question 38

Sampling Errors

Answer 38

Expected errors that occur in the sampling phase of research.

Question 39

Standard Deviation

Answer 39

A measure of a the range of scores in a set of data relative to the mean score.

Question 40

Standing Order

Answer 40

A type of protocol that is written document signed by the EMS system’s medical director that outlines specific directions, permissions, and sometimes prohibitions regarding patient care that is rendered prior to contacting medical control.

Question 41

Systematic Sampling

Answer 41

A computer-generated list of subjects or groups for research.

Question 42

Trauma Systems

Answer 42

The collaboration of prehospital and in-hospital medicine that focuses on optimizing the use of resources and assets of each with a primary goal of reducing the mortality and morbidity of trauma patients.

Question 43

Unblinded Study

Answer 43

A type of study in which the subjects are advised of all aspects of the study.