Chapter 1 EMS Systems: Vital Vocabulary

Question 1

Time parameters that are set during a research project.

Answer 1

alternative time sampling

Question 2

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

Answer 2

blinding

Question 3

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

Answer 3

case study

Question 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.

Answer 4

certification

Question 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.

Answer 5

cohort research

Question 6

An organization that develops continuing education standards for prehospital providers; formerly called the Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Service (CECBEMS).

Answer 6

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

Question 7

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

Answer 7

continuous quality improvement (CQI)

Question 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.

Answer 8

convenience sampling

Question 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.

Answer 9

cross-sectional design

Question 10

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

Answer 10

descriptive

Question 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.

Answer 11

emergency medical services (EMS)

Question 12

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

Answer 12

ethical

Question 13

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

Answer 13

evidence-based practice

Question 14

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

Answer 14

health care professional

Question 15

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

Answer 15

inferential

Question 16

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

Answer 16

institutional review board (IRB)

Question 17

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

Answer 17

licensure

Question 18

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

Answer 18

literature review

Question 19

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

Answer 19

longitudinal design

Question 20

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

Answer 20

medical direction

Question 21

An early title given to an ambulance-style unit

Answer 21

mobile intensive care units (MICUs)

Question 22

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

Answer 22

off-line (indirect) medical control

Question 23

Medical direction given in real time to an EMS service or provider.

Answer 23

online (direct) medical control

Question 24

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

Answer 24

parameters

Question 25

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 exerts for review of the content and research methods.

Answer 25

peer review

Question 26

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

Answer 26

profession

Question 27

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

Answer 27

prospective research

Question 28

A treatment plan developed for a specific illness or injury.

Answer 28

protocol

Question 29

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

Answer 29

qualitative

Question 30

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

Answer 30

quality control

Question 31

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

Answer 31

quantitative

Question 32

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

Answer 32

reciprocity

Question 33

Providing information to an entity that stores it 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.

Answer 33

registration

Question 34

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

Answer 34

research agenda

Question 35

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

Answer 35

research consortium

Question 36

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

Answer 36

research domain

Question 37

Research performed from current available information.

Answer 37

retrospective research

Question 38

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.

Answer 38

safety culture

Question 39

Expected errors that occur in the sampling phase of research.

Answer 39

sampling errors

Question 40

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

Answer 40

standard deviation

Question 41

A type of protocol that is a 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.

Answer 41

standing order

Question 42

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

Answer 42

systematic sampling

Question 43

The collaboration of prehospital an 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.

Answer 43

trauma systems

Question 44

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

Answer 44

unblinded study