TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Roles and Responsibilities in the Field A1 - Wang, Alvin A1 - Yeh, Ernest A1 - Wydro, Gerald A2 - Cooney, Derek R. PY - 2016 T2 - Cooney's EMS Medicine AB - Traditional roles for the physician in EMS have involved quality improvement, protocol development, and provider education. In general, physicians do not typically provide routine EMS care in the field setting; however, the role of the EMS physician has been evolving. The National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) has issued a position statement affirming the role of EMS physicians in the field.1 The role of the EMS physician is myriad and not well standardized as described in a 2000 field survey of the 125 largest cities in the United States.2 Many EMS systems now provide mechanisms by which EMS-trained physicians can be called into the field to directly provide and/or coordinate patient care for unusual circumstances. These same EMS physicians can also provide real-time education, quality assurance, and online medical direction on routine calls.3 In addition, direct exposure to the challenging field environment can help the EMS physician with protocol development and provider education programs. In this chapter, we will provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of EMS physicians in the field. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1126790912 ER -