Medication errors can result in significant patient injury or even death and remain an ongoing issue in the healthcare field. Currently, there are numerous published studies focusing on medication errors which occur in the hospital setting. However, considerably fewer studies exist which focus on the prehospital setting.
The goal of this study is to determine the type and prevalence of medication errors and protocol deviations among prehospital ALS providers (Advanced-EMTs, EMT Intermediates, and Paramedics, etc.) in the United States. This study also aims to determine the reason for these incidents, how often they are reported, and the reason why there may be hesitancy among providers to report.
Cody Vaughn Gibson is the Principal Investigator of this study which received approval from the IRB at William Woods University (Protocol # 446). Data will be collected through use of an online survey.
This survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and all active prehospital ALS providers who are 18 years of age or older and located in the United States are qualified to participate.
To participate, please click here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T26XSJL
About the Author
Cody Vaughn Gibson, MS, NRAEMT, is an Adjunct Faculty member in the School of Science and Health, at William Woods University. Cody has been a Nationally Registered Advanced-EMT for over a decade, has a bachelor’s degree in cellular and developmental biology from Athens State University and a master’s degree in pharmacy from the University of Florida, and has taught a variety of natural science and health science courses at the collegiate level. His background in both EMS and academia is what led him to employ an interdisciplinary approach to conducting research with the goal of improving patient and provider safety, and he has several prior publications focusing on pathogens found in the prehospital environment. Connect with Cody on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheGibsonLab.
Editor’s Note: JEMS has no involvement in the research.
