EMS agenda for the future: Virginia providers' perspectives.

OBJECTIVE: Revolutionary changes in the health care system necessitate subsequent changes in emergency medical services (EMS). The development and dissemination of the EMS Agenda for the Future focus attention on awareness and attitudes of field providers. This study attempted to measure awareness of and agreement with concepts set forth in the agenda.

METHODS: Through a unique cooperative partnership between state government and two health services research students, researchers were able to describe and explore the attitudes of EMS providers about the future direction of the profession. A representative sample of participants, chosen from the Commonwealth of Virginia in fall 1997, responded to a mailed researcher-developed questionnaire based on the EMS Agenda for the Future.

RESULTS: A cover letter written by the state EMS director and the enclosure of self-addressed, stamped envelopes yielded a 47% response rate. Paramedic-level providers and paid personnel were more likely to agree with the concepts of the EMS Agenda for the Future than were other-level providers and volunteers. The attribute with which the respondents agreed most was "legislation and regulation." The respondents agreed the least with "integration of health services." Providers were most concerned with the issue of liability protection, one aspect of the "legislation and regulation" attribute. Only 10% of the respondents reported having read the agenda.

CONCLUSIONS: EMS providers' awareness, perspectives, and attitudes are essential to the forward progression of the EMS Agenda for the Future. Successful implementation of the agenda will depend on these professionals' participation and support. Providers tended to agree most with traditional concepts discussed in the EMS Agenda for the Future. Awareness levels and attitudes toward the vision suggest implications for future education, planning, and research activities.