Emergency Medical Services

Abstract

Emergency medical service workers are a high-risk group, and while some of this risk is inherent in the type of work that they perform, much of it may be avoidable. This study examines medical professionals administering patient care during patient transportation to highlight previously overlooked safety issues in an ambulance. EMS workers were observed over the course of 3 months using video data collected during all patient transports. Visual data reduction recorded the medic back angles, seated/standing posture, and whether or not the medic was providing patient care during all patient transports. Analysis of the data showed that EMS workers display intermediate (between 20° and 60°) and severe (larger than 60°) back angles while standing compared to sitting, and are standing and displaying potentially harmful postures while providing patient care. These findings indicate that there is a relationship between the EMS worker’s ability to adequately provide patient care and his inability to do so from a neutral seated posture in an ambulance layout that is currently used in many ambulances used throughout the world.