title: Emergency medical service systems research: problems of the past, challenges of the future.
abstract: Out-of-hospital emergency care was designed around the concept of a system of interrelated events that combine to offer a patient the best care possible outside the hospital. However, in contrast to the actual operations of emergency medical service (EMS) systems, research has not typically used systems-based models as the method for evaluation. In this discussion we outline the weaknesses of component-based research models in EMS evaluation and attempt to provide a "systems-analysis" framework that can be used for future research. Incorporation of this multidiscipline approach into EMS research is essential if there is to be any hope of finding answers to many of the important questions that remain in the arena of out-of-hospital health care.
authors.affiliation: Arizona Emergency Medicine Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, USA.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Spaite
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Criss
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guisto
mesh_terms: D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005544:Forecasting; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D013597:Systems Analysis; D014481:United States; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000628:therapy