Prehospital Care Research Forum (PCRF) Journal Club

In March 2026's journal club we step into a nuanced corner of prehospital care that’s quietly reshaping how systems think about patient destinations. We unpack research from Toronto on paramedics transporting intoxicated patients to a stabilization centre rather than straight to the emergency department. Most patients required no medical interventions in the field, and only a small subset needed later transfer to a hospital. What does this mean for EMS diversion practices, resource use, and paramedic decision-making? Join us for a practical, forward-looking discussion on when less hospital might mean better care in the prehospital world.Article: Examining a Stabilization Center for Patients with Alcohol or Opioid Intoxication Transported by Paramedics: A Cohort Study of an Emergency Department Diversion Model

Neurologic emergencies don’t wait for the hospital—and neither should neurology education. This episode breaks down a longitudinal EMS curriculum using cases, simulation, and gamification to improve prehospital neurologic assessment. We’ll discuss feasibility, knowledge outcomes, and system-level metrics like door-to-needle time and thrombectomy transfers. Does active learning and simulation meaningfully change prehospital neurologic care—or just test scores? And what does “success” really look like for EMS education? Article: Curriculum Innovation: Training the Front Line A Neurologic Emergencies Curriculum Pilot for First Responders https://www.neurology.org/doi/10.1212/NE9.0000000000200286

In this month’s journal club episode, we tackle a topic every EMS educator and clinician wrestles with: how do you honor a patient’s end-of-life wishes when they call 911? We unpack a structured review of U.S. EMS protocols and the wide variation in what counts as a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order, from physician-signed forms to bracelets, POLST-style documents, and even verbal orders. We’ll discuss how these differences can lead to moral distress and affect goal-concordant care, and why understanding the nuances of DNR documentation matters for field providers, system leaders, and anyone who wants to ensure patient wishes are respected in the out-of-hospital setting.

Does CPR training really need to be “to mastery”? This study suggests a few minutes of self-directed practice may be just as effective months later. Join the journal club to debate what this means for EMS education, standards, and training efficiency.

In this episode, we step inside the ambulance to explore a question rarely discussed: how safe is the air paramedics breathe when administering methoxyflurane, marketed as Penthrox. While not used in the United States, Penthrox is widely used in Australia and other parts of the world as an inhaled analgesic for prehospital pain management. In this month’s journal club, we unpack a controlled laboratory study that measured occupational exposure inside ambulance environments, examine how ventilation changes the equation, and discuss what the findings mean for paramedic safety, system design, and the evolving balance between patient comfort and clinician health. A thoughtful ride through science, safety, and real-world EMS practice.

Our annual end-of-year special edition of the PCRF Education Research Journal Club when each of our panelists will share a favorite article from the educational literature in 2025.

In this month’s Educational Journal Club, we dive into a multi-state study examining EMS team performance during simulated pediatric emergencies. We will explore how well EMS clinicians handle high-stakes scenarios like respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and seizures in children—and whether having a Pediatric Emergency Care Coordinator (PECC) makes a difference. With insights into training gaps and simulation-based performance data, we’ll discuss what these findings mean for frontline care and how to better prepare EMS teams for rare but critical pediatric calls. Article: Quality of Care and Opportunities for Improvement in Prehospital Care of Critically Ill Pediatric Patients: An Observational, Simulation-Based Study https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10903127.2025.2500715

Listen to the Education Research Oral Abstracts presented live at EMS Expo.

Join us for this month’s Journal Club from the Prehospital Care Research Forum as we take a closer look at the NAEMSP Trauma Compendium: a landmark collection of trauma care guidance from some of the field’s leading voices. In this special episode, we’re joined by the lead author for a guided tour through each article, while our panelists bring sharp questions and on-the-ground insights. Whether you’re in the classroom or on the curbside, this is the trauma update you don’t want to miss.

How ready are EMS clinicians to care for patients who don’t speak English—and what shapes that readiness? This new study explores the intersection of language access, EMS training, and clinician confidence when serving diverse communities. Join us this month for the Prehospital Care Research Forum Journal Club as the lead author shares what they uncovered and why it matters for future EMS education and policy. If you’ve ever faced a language barrier on scene, this conversation is for you.The article can be found at: Factors Associated with EMS Clinician Preparedness to Provide Care for Patients with Limited English Proficiency

What really happens after a lift assist? This study uncovers the timeline of patients who call 911 for help getting up—only to return days later, this time in an ambulance. Are these quiet calls a warning sign? Join us as we follow the path from floor to gurney and explore how repeat lift assists could be the key to predicting preventable emergencies. If you think a lift assist ends when the crew drives away, think again.Article: Timeline for repeat EMS encounters resulting in transport following "lift assist" in a suburban EMS system

Burnout is a growing concern across healthcare, but how deep does it run in EMS, and what’s the real cost? In this episode, we explore a national survey of EMS clinicians that uncovers critical insights into well-being, workforce stability, and what might be driving providers away from the profession. Join us to find out how burnout is measured, why it matters more than ever, and what the data reveal about the future of the EMS workforce.

Violence against EMS clinicians is rising—but what if we could see it coming? This month’s Journal Club explores Aggressive Behavior Risk Assessment Tool for EMS (ABRAT-EMS), a simple yet powerful 3-item checklist that helps identify potentially violent patients before transport. With strong sensitivity and specificity, this tool could be a game-changer for EMS safety. Tune in as our panel dives into how it works, what it means for frontline providers, and where it fits into broader violence prevention strategies. Article: Aggressive Behavior Risk Assessment Tool for Emergency Medical Services https://www-sciencedirect-com.libproxy.uthscsa.edu/science/article/pii/S2688115225000530

For EMS clinicians, clinical judgment involves higher-order thinking, beginning with clinical reasoning and culminating in clinical decision-making. Existing frameworks suggest that other constructs like leadership and communication may also influence clinical judgment. This evaluation aimed to determine whether leadership and communication are integrated within the broader concept of clinical judgment. Presented Live from Accreditcon 2025. Article: Understanding higher-order constructs of leadership and communication in EMS clinical judgment https://bmcmededuc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12909-024-06282-5

This month's PCRF Education Journal Club dives into a systematic review exploring simulation-based education in paramedic training. With clinical placements under pressure, could sim labs be the future—or are we missing something vital? Tune in, read up, and bring your thoughts to the discussion—let’s break it down together! Article: Systematic review of the evidence for using simulation to replace clinical practice

In this episode of the Prehospital Care Research Forum's Journal Club, we examine the results of the TRAUMOX2 Randomized Clinical Trial, which compares early restrictive and liberal oxygen strategies for trauma patients. Tune in as we break down the findings, discuss the implications for prehospital and emergency care, and explore how oxygen management could influence outcomes for trauma patients. Don’t miss this critical analysis of one of the year’s most impactful studies! Article: Early Restrictive vs Liberal Oxygen for Trauma Patients: The TRAUMOX2 Randomized Clinical Trial