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 following link takes you to the New York State Quality Improvement Manual (PDF) and Quick Start Guide (PDF). 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).
The Measures Landing Page (XLSX) takes you to the Quality Measures 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 will be needed to complete the calculations for that particular evaluation. Many ePCR vendors even provide the data in the format of the measure to make calculations even easier.
Example:
Links within the landing page chart take you to a specific measure’s information that will guide you in what data you will need to complete the calculations for that specific evaluation.
Example:
Take a moment to look through the Quick Start Guide (PDF), form a Quality Improvement Committee if you don’t already have one, start with only a few measures, and use the New York State Quality Improvement Manual (PDF) as a resource for more in-depth information. For additional assistance, please reach out to your local Program Agency, Regional Council, Bureau of EMS Regional Office or Data and Informatics personnel.
Please visit the organizations listed below for more information beyond the manual and guidance here:
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- American Heart Association Mission Lifeline (AHA ML)
- American Heart Association Quality Improvement (AHA)
- Coverdell Stroke Quality Improvement Program (New York State)
- Florida Feasible, Actionable, Impactful, and Relevant (F.A.I.R.) Rural EMS Measurements Project
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI)
- National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA)
