National EMS Management Association
PLATTE CITY, Mo. — The National EMS Management Association has issued a new Position Paper promoting common language in the field of Paramedicine.
NEMSMA is advocating that the term “Paramedicine” be used to describe the discipline of pre-hospital medicine (historically called EMS) and that the term “paramedic” become the standard reference to all individual providers.
For nearly half of a century, U.S. ambulance services and providers alike have used a variety of names to describe themselves and the work they do. A statement published by The National EMS Advisory Council in December 2016 cited no less than 37 terms used today to describe this field of health care.
Among other points, NEMSMA’s paper asserts that this plethora of terms has, “…perpetuated confusion amongst members of the general public, the media, lawmakers and insurance providers. There is no common appreciation of the expertise and breadth of services provided by the paramedicine industry and paramedic providers today.”
The NEMSMA position is intended to generate a national dialogue about the issue leading to positive change.