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.
The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) provides nationally recognized, evidence-based quality measures of excellence. These measures are approved by the NYS Emergency Medical Advisory Committee (SEMAC) and NYS Emergency Medical Services Council (SEMSCO). NEMSQA describes each quality measure, explains why it is important and how to evaluate it, and provides numerator, denominator, inclusion and exclusion criteria. Also on the site are technical documents, answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), and many other resources. Access to the website and registration for use is completely free.
NEMSQA measures go through a rigorous development process of research, testing and public comment before being released and continue through a maintenance development process for their lifetime on a regular basis. To that end, it is important to check their site often to see what is new and different.
Note: To find the data necessary to calculate a measure, go to the technical documents and then pseudocode for the measure you want to evaluate. NEMSQA provides a chart that includes the criteria in written form and in the actual National EMS Information Systems (NEMSIS) codes as well.
Take a moment to look through the guide and manual, form a Quality Improvement Committee if you don’t already have one, and start with only a few measures until you are comfortable expanding to a few more. 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)
