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 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 plans by each local EMS agency. The local QI Plans shall be submitted to EMSA for 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
EMS Core Quality Measures Documents
EMS Core Quality Measures Project
- EMS Core Quality Measures Project Overview Webpage (Information on all years of the project)
- EMS Core Quality Measures Instruction Manual – NEMSIS 3.5 Update for 2023 Data (PDF)
- EMS Core Quality Measures Instruction Manual (EMSA Publication SYS 100-11) – 2022-2023 Data (Updated November 2022) (pdf)
- EMS Core Quality Measures Instruction Manual (EMSA Publication SYS 100-10) – 2021 Data (Updated February 2022) (pdf)
- EMS Core Quality Measures Instruction Manual (EMSA Publication SYS 100-04) – 2020 Data (Updated July 2021) (pdf)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2014 Data (pdf) (Updated Nov. 2015)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2015 Data (pdf) (Updated Sept. 2016)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2016 Data (pdf) (Updated Dec. 2017)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2018 Data (pdf) (Updated Feb. 2020)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2019 Data (pdf) (Updated April 2021)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2020 Data (pdf) (Updated June 2022)
- Core Quality Measures Report on 2021 Data (pdf) (Most Current Report)