Quality Improvement

The primary purpose of any quality management program is to ensure every patient receives the best medical care possible. Each new technique or technological innovation presents EMS systems with an opportunity to assess its best practices and measure performance. No single agency alone can evaluate the complete patient journey from injury to disease onset to recovery. Therefore, EMS service providers, local EMS agencies, and the California EMS Authority (EMSA) must work together to develop objective procedures for measuring and improving patient care outcomes.

EMSA convened the Paramedic Task Force to develop regulatory language in order to establish a state-level Quality Improvement Program. This program model, which will evolve over time, begins with the development of local quality improvement programs by each local EMS agency, EMS service provider, and paramedic base hospital. The local EMS agency QI programs shall be submitted to EMSA for evaluation and approval and are to describe each of the following:

• Local organizational structure related to quality improvement
• Local data collection and reporting activities
• Evaluation of EMS system performance measures
• Methodology for driving system improvement
• Quality management training and education