Energetics Supports Development of New Resource: A Telemedicine Framework for Emergency Medical and 911 Services

The COVID-19 pandemic greatly accelerated an emerging trend in energy medical services (EMS) and 911 services. However, many EMS and 911 organizations entered the pandemic in the very early stages of planning or implementing telemedicine programs. To address a clear need for guidance, the Federal Interagency Committee on EMS (FICEMS) tasked Energetics to support development of the Telemedicine Framework for EMS and 911 Organizations. FICEMS was established in 2005 to coordinate federal agencies supporting state, local, tribal, and territorial EMS and 911 systems. This resource helps these organizations recognize and leverage opportunities to use telemedicine to deliver high-quality and cost-efficient care at the right place and the right time.

Marc Sigrist, Program Analyst, led Energetics’ work. He and Walt Zalis, Program Director of the Climate, Resilience and Market Transformation division, worked with FICEMS to develop an approach and outline for a functional, user-friendly guidance document. Marc and Walt facilitated meetings and workshops to obtain input from a range of federal, private sector, and association stakeholders. They used that information to draft the document and worked closely with these stakeholders to shape and finalize the content. Throughout the project duration, Marc presented updates on these efforts at public meetings for both FICEMS and the National EMS Advisory Council (NEMSAC).

The framework provides guidance to communities and organizations implementing EMS and 911 telemedicine programs, such as design concepts and checklists, as well as links to a number of other resources. The document also offers suggestions for identifying community partners, engaging policymakers and other stakeholders, and assessing financial considerations.

The Telemedicine Framework for EMS and 911 Organizations is available on ems.gov.