How has the role of EMS changed in the past 40 years?
Since its inception, the purpose of EMS has been to render emergency medical care to sick or injured people in emergency situations. But during the past 40 years, its role has continuously evolved. Modern EMS developed out of simultaneous advances in the science of cardiac resuscitation as well as the recognition of accidental death and disability as a neglected epidemic. It was created to meet the immediate needs of the acutely ill and injured; to provide emergency care and transportation. Over the past four decades, EMS has expanded to provide emergency medical care for all types of emergencies. And it includes the care of medical emergencies as well as all types of injuries, accidental and intentional. In many areas of the country, it functions as a heath care “safety net”, especially for the un- or under-insured. Public health authorities have also turned to EMS to assist in prevention activities, to promote health and wellness programs, and to assist in the identification of new o
