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Comparison of emergency medical services systems in the pan‐ A sian resuscitation outcomes study countries: Report from a literature review and survey
Author(s) -
Ong Marcus EH,
Cho Jungheum,
Ma Matthew HueiMing,
Tanaka Hideharu,
Nishiuchi Tatsuya,
Al Sakaf Omer,
Abdul Karim Sarah,
Khunkhlai Nalinas,
Atilla Ridvan,
Lin ChihHao,
Shahidah Nur,
Lie Desiree,
Shin Sang Do
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
emergency medicine australasia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.602
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1742-6723
pISSN - 1742-6731
DOI - 10.1111/1742-6723.12032
Subject(s) - medicine , emergency medical services , medical emergency , certification , prehospital emergency care , political science , law
Objective A sia– P acific countries have unique prehospital emergency care or emergency medical services ( EMS ) systems, which are different from E uropean or A nglo‐ A merican models. We aimed to compare the EMS systems of eight A sia– P acific countries/regions as part of the P an A sian R esuscitation O utcomes S tudy ( PAROS ), to provide a basis for future comparative studies across systems of care. Methods In the first phase, a systematic literature review of EMS system within the eight PAROS countries/regions of interest was conducted. In the second phase, PAROS site directors were surveyed for additional information about the demographics and characteristics of EMS services at their sites.Results The database and bibliography search identified 25 eligible articles. The survey of EMS systems was completed by seven PAROS directors. By combining information sources from phases 1 and 2, we found that all PAROS EMS systems were single‐tiered, and most were public ( vs private) and fire‐based ( T hailand, M alaysia, S ingapore, T aiwan, J apan, K orea). Ambulance personnel were primarily emergency medical technicians and paramedics, except for T hailand and T urkey, whose personnel include nurses and physicians. Personnel were trained to use automated external defibrillators and have basic cardiac life support certification. The service capability of each EMS system in terms of dispatch, airway management and medications, for example, varied greatly. Conclusion We found variation in the EMS systems across the eight A sia– P acific countries/regions studied. The findings will inform the construction of a multinational A sia– P acific research network for future comparative studies and could serve as a model for international research networks.