By Bill Carey
EMS1
IRVING, Texas — The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) has published its inaugural NEMSQA Measure Report, “Enhancing Airway Management One Measure at a Time.”
In collaboration with experts and EMS agencies nationwide, NEMSQA is leading the second National EMS Quality Improvement Partnership (EQuIP), called the Airway Management Collaborative, to effectively implement the new NEMSQA airway measures.
This initial focus on airway management aligns strategically with key initiatives advancing prehospital airway care, including the EMS Quality Improvement Partnership (EQuIP) Airway Management Collaborative and the National Association of State EMS Officials’ Prehospital Airway Management Evidence-Based Guideline.
The report begins with NEMSQA “not satisfied with the state of airway management safety in EMS,” and that the data shows that there can be improvement in the industry.
Dr. Michael Redlener, board president, captured the vision for this initiative, stating, “Understanding the national performance in key clinical quality and safety measures is the first step to improving our care of patients. This report should empower EMS leaders across the country to use a data-driven, patient-centered approach to improve care in their agency, region, or beyond. Without data like this to tell us our current state, we can ignore the problem – now, it’s harder to ignore.”
