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EMSIRS-2 Project EMS Incident Reporting System, version 2.2 Ohio Revised Code section 4765.06 states “The state board of emergency medical services shall establish an emergency medical services incidence reporting system for the collection of information regarding the delivery of emergency medical services in this state and the frequency at which the services are provided. All emergency medical service organizations shall submit to the board any information that the board determines is necessary for maintaining the incidence reporting system.” The EMS Incident Reporting System (EMSIRS) was created in 2002 to fulfill the requirements of this law. The basis for the data elements collected by EMSIRS is the national standard EMS data set created by the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS). The NEMSIS data set was created to replace the aging and increasingly ineffective Uniform Prehospital Data Set, which was the national standard from 1992 until 2004, and was the basis for the original EMSIRS data set. The information collected by EMSIRS is used to guide the State Board of Emergency Medical Services in creating statewide rules and policies regarding training, education and system oversight. It is also used for medical research and for EMS performance improvement. Data Dictionary versus Technical Manual The EMSIRS v2.2 Data Dictionary is designed to guide EMS personnel in the collection of information on emergency runs made in the State of Ohio. It is designed to assure all parties involved are using uniform definitions and allowed values. The EMSIRS v2.2 Technical Manual is designed to inform programmers and other IT personnel of the codes associated with data elements, the file layout, edits and crosschecks, and other procedural details that the EMS personnel collecting the data do not necessarily need to know. Implementation of the EMSIRS v2.2 Data Set The Ohio State Board of Emergency Medical Services, on the advice of the Incident Reporting System Advisory Committee has made the decision to use phased implementation for the EMSIRS v2.2 data set. Phased implementation is being provided to ease the transition to the new data set. The date for the Ohio Department of Public Safety’s EMS Division to be ready to accept EMSIRS v2.2 data is January 1, 2008. The EMSIRS web-based data entry system will be switched to the new data set at that time. But users of third-party software (such as Firehouse) may continue to use the original EMSIRS data set until their software is ready to upgrade to EMSIRS v2.2. They may upgrade to EMSIRS v2.2 at any point after January 1, 2008, but they MUST be using EMSIRS v2.2 beginning January 1, 2010. Caution is advised that this two-year phased implementation period may seem like a long time and that work on the new system can start “later.” However, experience with the initial deployment of EMSIRS shows not delaying and beginning the transition as soon as possible can avoid a lot of pain and frustration. Documentation Below are links to the EMSIRS v2.2 Data Dictionary, Generic Patient Care Report (PCR) PCR Reference Sheet If you would like more information on the National EMS Information System, please visit their website at http://www.nemsis.org. And, as always, if you have questions, comments or concerns, you may contact the EMS Division at EMSdata@dps.state.oh.us or 800-233-0785 (press the option for Research and Analysis).
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