Matt Zavadsky on EMS performance measurement recommendations

Measuring how well we are doing

Matt Zavadsky on performance measure recommendations that prioritize quality over response times

August 02, 2024 11:55 AM •

In this special edition of EMS One-Stop, host Rob Lawrence discusses the published yesterday by the leading EMS and public policy associations with Matt Zavadsky, MS-HSA, EMT, vice president of PWW|AG, and one of the primary authors of the position statement.

|More: 16 EMS groups publish joint statement on EMS performance metrics

Rob and Matt discuss the statement in detail, examining all of the recommended metrics, the reasons for placing them in the paper and why response times are not recommended as a primary measure of system performance.

Rob and Matt begin by discussing the signatories of the statement 鈥� in particular, the sign off from the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) and the pivotal role they play in ensuring EMS delivery in their communities.

The organizations joining the statement are:

Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration
American Ambulance Association
American College of Emergency Physicians
American College of Surgeons 鈥� Committee on Trauma
American Paramedic Association
Center for Patient Safety
International Academies of Emergency Dispatch
International Association of EMS Chiefs
International City/County Management Association
National Association of EMS Physicians
National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians
National Association of State EMS Officials
National EMS Management Association
National EMS Quality Alliance
National Volunteer Fire Council
Paramedic Chiefs of Canada

These associations recommend that communities and governments modernize EMS performance assessments by evaluating various domains with key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs should be measured, tracked over time, benchmarked against similar EMS systems or national data and regularly published for local community stakeholders.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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Rob Lawrence

Rob Lawrence has been a leader in civilian and military EMS for over a quarter of a century. He is currently the director of strategic implementation for PRO EMS and its educational arm, Prodigy EMS, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and part-time executive director of the California Ambulance Association.

He previously served as the chief operating officer of the Richmond Ambulance Authority (Virginia), which won both state and national EMS Agency of the Year awards during his 10-year tenure. Additionally, he served as COO for Paramedics Plus in Alameda County, California.

Prior to emigrating to the U.S. in 2008, Rob served as the COO for the East of England Ambulance Service in Suffolk County, England, and as the executive director of operations and service development for the East Anglian Ambulance NHS Trust. Rob is a former Army officer and graduate of the UK鈥檚 Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and served worldwide in a 20-year military career encompassing many prehospital and evacuation leadership roles.

Rob is a board member of the Academy of International Mobile Healthcare Integration (AIMHI) as well as chair of the American Ambulance Association鈥檚 State Association Forum. He writes and podcasts for SA国际传媒 and is a member of the SA国际传媒 Editorial Advisory Board. Connect with him on Twitter.