Just six decades ago, you had a better chance of surviving a gunshot wound during the Vietnam War by receiving treatment in the ambulance on the way to the hospital in the United States.
Beginnings on the Battlefields
The beginnings of emergency medical responders can be traced back to the American Civil War, which caused an unprecedented level of injuries on the battlefield and called for intensive and organized efforts to deal with the casualties.
In 1862, Major Jonathan Letterman established the U.S. Ambulance Corps, first within the Army of the Potomac and then throughout the Union Army. This allowed for the treatment of injured soldiers during battle instead of waiting for the shooting to stop.
This model was expanded during World War I when soldiers could summon medical care on the battlefield using signal boxes. After the war, volunteers began forming the first civilian emergency responders, consisting largely of fire departments and even funeral home operators.
However, it was the pioneering articles on cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures in the late 1950s and 1960s that provided the impetus for emergency response services to transition from volunteer work to a legitimate profession. The American Heart Association began training physicians in cardiopulmonary resuscitation procedures, paving the way for emergency medical responders to learn as well.
The White Paper Reveals the Severity of the Roads
In the 1960s, there was a national shortage of registered physicians, and furthermore, most of their time was taken up performing relatively simple tasks that could be done by less qualified workers. This had a negative impact on the national highways, where vehicle accidents increased.
A pivotal moment in the development of emergency medical services was the publication of a white paper in 1966 titled “Accidental Death and Disability: The Neglected Disease of Modern Society,” prepared by the National Academy of Sciences. The paper alerted President Lyndon B. Johnson to a staggering fact: in 1965 alone, more Americans were killed in vehicle accidents than had been killed in the Korean War.
Thanks to this report, the government designed an emergency response system, and medics returning from combat lines in Vietnam provided a model to follow, which included patient transport protocols.
In 1969, the first national standardized curriculum for emergency medical technicians was published, marking the beginnings of modern civilian emergency responders.
Medics Gain Recognition as an Independent Profession
Once the role of emergency medical technician was introduced, the roles spread rapidly, and by the end of the 1970s, they were recognized as a legitimate profession (rather than a branch of firefighting or funeral home work). A crucial role in this development was played by the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, which included the standardization of training for emergency medical services personnel, as well as the development of emergency transport services, including the installation of portable resuscitation devices in ambulances.
It didn’t take long before the profession of emergency medical services became popular, and in 1973, the Emergency Medical Services Systems Act was introduced, which established over 300 emergency service systems nationwide and allocated funding for future growth.
At this time, physicians began specializing in emergency medicine for the first time, with the first residency training program launched in 1972 at the University of Cincinnati. Within three years, the number of training residency programs grew to 32 different programs across the country. New trauma centers also opened nationwide.
Emergency Services Become Unified and Clean
Once the ambulance course was recognized at the national level, it began to evolve and improve to grow into the profession we know today. The U.S. Department of Transportation was also established in 1966, which, along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, played a pivotal role in unifying curriculums, training, and standards for emergency responders.
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In the early 1970s, the profession of emergency medical technicians became so prevalent that it was necessary to distinguish a new role: the paramedic, who performs more advanced medical procedures while allowing emergency medical technicians to carry out basic tasks.
In 1971, 1,520 individuals took the first exam for Emergency Medical Technician certification.
In the 1980s, emergency medical services began to expand to include treatment of not only adult trauma cases but also chronic illnesses and children. During this time, it also became common for emergency medical workers to wear gloves and masks to protect themselves from pathogens, a development that was partially a result of concerns surrounding the AIDS epidemic.
New Challenges for Emergency Medical Technicians in a Post-COVID World
Currently, modern emergency medical technicians are facing a new shift in their scope and identity following the COVID-19 pandemic. The post-pandemic shortage of medical personnel includes emergency medical technicians, who have experienced significant stress and burnout while caring for patients. For example, many emergency medical technicians are facing a shortage of available emergency room capacity, leading to long waits for patients to be seen. This also means that the ambulance is out of service until the patient is admitted to the emergency room.
On a positive note, the medical advancements being considered for regular medical services are also being adapted for emergency services, including the potential expansion of emergency services to include telemedicine. Some emergency medical service systems are now offering alternative options and destinations for emergency treatment facilities and are expanding the role of emergency medical technicians to include mental health emergencies instead of sending the police.
As the profession of emergency medical services continues to evolve and expand, public appreciation for this historical and high-risk role is increasing: in 2018, the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation was tasked with planning a permanent memorial for emergency medical service workers in Washington, D.C.
This story was reviewed by Karen Gao. The text was edited by Tim Brons.
This story was originally published on Medical Technology Schools and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
Source: https://www.aol.com/battlefields-bedsides-evolution-modern-emts-180000173.html
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