title: Tactical medicine--competency-based guidelines.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tactical emergency medical support (TEMS) is a rapidly growing area within the field of prehospital medicine. As TEMS has grown, multiple training programs have emerged. A review of the existing programs demonstrated a lack of competency-based education.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To develop educational competencies for TEMS as a first step toward enhancing accountability.
  
  
  METHODS
  As an initial attempt to establish accepted outcome-based competencies, the National Tactical Officers Association (NTOA) convened a working group of subject matter experts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This working group drafted a competency-based educational matrix consisting of 18 educational domains. Each domain included competencies for four educational target audiences (operator, medic, team commander, and medical director). The matrix was presented to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Tactical Emergency Medicine Section members. A modified Delphi technique was utilized for the NTOA and ACEP groups, which allowed for additional expert input and consensus development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The resultant matrix can serve as the basic educational standard around which TEMS training organizations can design programs of study for the four target audiences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia, USA. rschwartz@mcg.edu
authors.forename: Richard Bruce
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Croushorn
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Piazza
authors.forename: Phillip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Coule
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bollard
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ledrick
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vecchio
authors.forename: E Brooke
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lerner
mesh_terms: D022561:Advanced Cardiac Life Support; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003162:Competency-Based Education; D032921:Consensus; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008887:Military Medicine; D017145:Models, Educational; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014481:United States