The New Reality of EMS: Post Pandemic Operations

The global pandemic has, without a doubt, sent ripples throughout every facet of our lives. It has changed the way we work, the way we interact, and the way we travel, and one of the largest impacts we have seen in our remote consulting and operations work has been within the medical field. While there were obvious changes in hospitals and the practices within, there were also drastic changes for first responders and out-of-hospital care.

Roles in emergency medical careers have begun to shift and they are experiencing a profession that is not what it once was before. So, what’s changing? And how will it continue to change?

This post will investigate some of the shifts occurring throughout the emergency medical field and how these shifts might continue to change in the years to come.

The EMS role will expand

EMS prior to the pandemic was busy. Organizations were in rushes transporting emergency patients to hospitals or other treatment facilities in hopes that they could get the adequate care and assistance they needed. EMS was simply used as a transport and was tasked with the job of keeping the patient stable until they could reach their desired location.

However, since the pandemic EMS has grown and now sees far more non-emergent patients than it ever did before. They have started to see and help people with their diabetes management, or blood pressure checks. With EMS companies aiding in non-emergent cases they are able to promote better chronic disease management for individuals and therefore can hopefully help decrease the number of patients visiting the emergency department of various hospitals.

In addition to non-emergent cases, EMS companies are seeing a large increase in calls for patients suffering from mental health illnesses. In the summer of 2020, nearly 40% of adults said they were suffering from mental health issues, or substance abuse. While police typically handle mental health calls, this large increase will continue to require EMS and paramedics to aid in the responses. 

Because of this it is essential that you and your company are aware of the community resources for mental health patients and the proper de-escalation techniques that may be helpful.

Social services integration

With increases in non-emergent cases, EMS companies will need to begin to integrate social services throughout their communities. The need for knowledge in social services provided through the community will help patients learn and understand their resources available. For example knowing where and what the community food bank is in an area so you can redirect a patient that has low food security there. 

Providing these resources to patients facing chronic diseases will once again help keep the emergency departments clear and will help the individual learn more about the allies they have and ways to stay healthy.

The rise of telemedicine

Not surprisingly, the pandemic prompted a boom of telehealth and this trend will only continue to rise. While EMS providers surely know how to evaluate a patient and decide treatment, it never hurts to have 24/7 access to physicians or specialists that can provide more insight into a patient's needs. This help in decision making in real time can lead to better patient care and improve patient satisfaction. 

Since the pandemic, there have been bills passed to aid in the funding for telehealth integration within EMS companies. To learn more about implementing telehealth in your organization or about possible funding options click here.