Associate Professor, EMS Medical Director Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Disclosure(s):
Ben Weston, MD, MPH, FAEMS: No financial relationships to disclose
Background: I treat all my patients the same. That is what just about any EMS provider will tell you. And yet, whether in a living room, a street corner, or the back of an ambulance, we find that is not the case. Women in cardiac arrest are less likely to receive the critical lifesaving interventions. Hispanic patients are less likely to have their stroke symptoms recognized. African Americans patients are less likely to have their pain treated. Why is this? How do we know this? And what can we do about it? How can I take my paramedics and EMTs—and you take yours—from a state of “I treat everyone the same” to a state of “equity matters to my patients, to my community, and to me.” Value: This talk will focus on EMS clinicians and leaders roles in promoting equity in care with an emphasis on solution-based best practices. Action: We will discuss a stepwise, implementable approach—understanding inequity, defining equity, ensuring accurate and comprehensive data collection to recognize disparities, and of course, using that data to educate, inform, and ultimately improve the care for your population.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, participant will be able to demonstrate a common understanding of equity and how it applies to prehospital care.
Upon completion, participant will be able to understand the inequities in patient care found in EMS systems across the country.
Upon completion, participant will be able to develop a step-wise approach to understanding, targeting and improving equity in their EMS system.
