The Effect of the Geriatrics Education for Emergency Medical Services Training Program in a Rural Community

Overview

Journal J Am Geriatr Soc

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2008 May 17

PMID 18482304

Citations 12

Authors

Manish N Shah

Karthik Rajasekaran

William D Sheahan 3rd

Tracy Wimbush

Jurgis Karuza

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The Geriatrics Education for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) (GEMS) course provides continuing education for EMS providers. This study evaluated the effect of the course on EMS providers in a rural county by performing a prospective cohort study using a pre-postsurvey design. The Geriatric Attitude Scale, the GEMS knowledge posttest, a class satisfaction survey, and a survey evaluating EMS providers' comfort in caring for older adults were used to measure the classes' effect. Eighty-eight EMS providers participated. All passed the course and were very satisfied with it. Follow-up was completed with 77 (80%). No significant change in attitude score was identified (P=.09). Median comfort scores significantly increased for the domains of communications, medical care, abuse evaluation, and falls evaluation. Providing the GEMS course to EMS providers in a rural community resulted in students passing a posttest evaluating their knowledge regarding caring for older adults and resulted in an increase in their comfort level for the care of older adults. The effect of the training on patient outcomes needs to be identified.

Citing Articles

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians' perceptions of geriatric trauma care in Saudi Arabia.

Harthi N, Goodacre S, Sampson F, Binhotan M, Alotaibi A BMC Emerg Med. 2025; 25(1):6.

PMID: 39789454 PMC: 11715434. DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01167-8.

The A to E (ABCDE) Pit Crew Model: A Novel Approach to Team Based Care of Critical Patients in the Prehospital Setting.

Walker A, Oswald A, Wanthal J, Van Dillen C, Plamoottil C, Patel P Health Psychol Res. 2022; 10(3):36960.

PMID: 35910241 PMC: 9334154. DOI: 10.52965/001c.36960.

Disability and morbidity among older patients in the emergency department: a Danish population-based cohort study.

Tanderup A, Lassen A, Rosholm J, Ryg J BMJ Open. 2018; 8(12):e023803.

PMID: 30552269 PMC: 6303572. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023803.

Qualitative Evaluation of the Coach Training within a Community Paramedicine Care Transitions Intervention.

Lau H, Hollander M, Cushman J, Dugoff E, Jones C, Kind A Prehosp Emerg Care. 2018; 22(4):527-534.

PMID: 29432041 PMC: 6028315. DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2017.1419325.

National Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services Responses for Older Adults in the United States.

Duong H, Herrera L, Moore J, Donnelly J, Jacobson K, Carlson J Prehosp Emerg Care. 2017; 22(1):7-14.

PMID: 28862480 PMC: 5760278. DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2017.1347223.

References

Reuben D, Lee M, DAVIS Jr J, Eslami M, Osterweil D, Melchiore S . Development and validation of a geriatrics attitudes scale for primary care residents. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998; 46(11):1425-30. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1998.tb06012.x. View

Shah M, Bazarian J, Brooke Lerner E, Fairbanks R, Barker W, Auinger P . The epidemiology of emergency medical services use by older adults: an analysis of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. Acad Emerg Med. 2007; 14(5):441-7. DOI: 10.1197/j.aem.2007.01.019. View

Shah M . The formation of the emergency medical services system. Am J Public Health. 2006; 96(3):414-23. PMC: 1470509. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2004.048793. View

Lee M, Reuben D, Ferrell B . Multidimensional attitudes of medical residents and geriatrics fellows toward older people. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2005; 53(3):489-94. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.53170.x. View

Newkirk L, Kim J, Thompson J, Tinklenberg J, Yesavage J, Taylor J . Validation of a 26-point telephone version of the Mini-Mental State Examination. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2004; 17(2):81-7. DOI: 10.1177/0891988704264534. View