The Role of EMS
Emergency Medical Services is one of the Lincoln Project’s most vital partnerships. EMS has unique insight into the health and well-being of the OHPND cohort and stores a wealth of data related to emergency encounters. The Lincoln team requests EMS records up to three years prior to an individual’s year of death.
Data provided by EMS include:
- Encounter date
- Reason for encounter
- EMS procedures
- Vitals
- Narratives
EMS narratives in particular promise to provide rich descriptive information about the OHPND cohort. Many OHPND deaths are attended by EMS, narratives and additional provided data will help determine whether a death was witnessed or unwitnessed and whether an individual had recent emergency encounters before death.
The Lincoln Project hopes to continue partnering with EMS throughout community interventions. Like Volunteer Community Health Workers, EMS crew members know their communities and the unique challenges faced by those living there. Their technical and professional expertise are a valuable asset to Lincoln researchers.