List date(s) this work was published or aired.
May 14, 2012 June 18, 2012 July 23, 2012
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
May 14, 2012 — The emergency medical services funding and reimbursement structure discourages improving the quality of care, but change to that structure doesn’t appear likely to occur anytime soon. June 18, 2012 — Advances in emergency medicine technology can greatly improve health but funding for technology is limited. July 23, 2012 — Rural regions can benefit greatly from air ambulance service, though safety remains an issue.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The story relied on Internet data from the federal government concerning costs, utilization and safety.
Explain types of human sources used.
The story relied heavily on interviews with experts in the field and in policy regarding emergency medical services.
Results:
The outlook for EMS is gloomy in terms of finding the funds to boost quality, but the healthcare reform effort may eventually shift attention in that direction.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
None.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
EMS offered an example of an area of healthcare that on its surface may have seemed less than exciting from a policy and funding standpoint. Once I got into it, though, there was more than I could fit into the three stories that were planned.