Prehospital Education Toolkit (2019)

In its 2007 consensus study report Emergency Care for Children (part of the Future of Emergency Care series), the Institute of Medicine (IOM) {now the National Academies of Medicine} reported deficiencies in the quality of prehospital pediatric emergency care resulting from the infrequent encounters with critical pediatric patients coupled with inadequate initial and continuing pediatric education. Furthermore, the report cited limited experience and training as a significant factor in previous studies indicating that prehospital providers are uncomfortable providing care for pediatric patients, particularly infants. Based on these findings, the IOM recommended that “Every pediatric- and emergency care-related health professional credentialing and certification body should define pediatric emergency care competencies and require practitioners to receive the level of initial and continuing education necessary to achieve and maintain those competencies.”

The implementation of the EMS Education Agenda for the Future: A Systems Approach (2000) has led to significant improvements in overall education standards for prehospital emergency providers, including the development of a National Scope of Practice Model, an accreditation program for the initial training of paramedic-level providers, and incorporating pediatric core content into the National EMS Education Standards (2009).

The National Association of EMS Officials (NASEMSO) has created an EMS Education Toolkit for Pediatrics, which is intended as a resource that can be used to inform the state EMS license renewal process to improve evaluation and performance related to pediatric skills competency although EMS Educators, EMS agencies, EMS practitioners, and others seeking information to improve pediatric education in emergency medical services will also find the information useful. Click here to access the Toolkit.