An Assessment of the Relationship between Emergency Medical Services Work-life Characteristics, Sleepiness, and the Report of Adverse Events
Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Literature examining sleepiness among the Emergency Medical Service (EMS) workforce, is limited.Because of the risks associated with sleepiness identified in other populations, and the importance of EMS with respect to public health and safety, there is a critical need to better understand how sleepiness and shift work may affect the EMS professional.Accordingly, the aims of this dissertation were to 1) quantify clinically significant excessive daytime sleepiness and identify related demographic and work-life factors, 2) quantify error-related events in EMS and assess the relationship between shift length, sleepiness and error-related events, 3) quantify occupational injuries or illnesses and assess the relationship between shift length, sleepiness and occupational injuries or illnesses, and finally 4) quantify negative impacts on personal and professional relationships among EMS professionals and examine the relationship between shift length, sleepiness, and negatively-affected personal and professional relationships.It was hypothesized that there was a positive association between EMS work-life characteristics, clinically-significant sleepiness, and the report of adverse events.In order to complete the aims described above, the Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technicians Attributes and Demographics Study (LEADS) Sleep and Shift Work Survey, which included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, was created and analyzed.Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores range from zero to twenty-four and a score of ten or more has been previously defined as evidence of clinically significant excessive daytime sleepiness.Participants were selected for this study based on prior responses to LEADS.Specifically, in an attempt to ix 4. Studnek JR, Fernandez AR, Margolis GS (2009).Assessing Continued Cognitive Competency among Rural Emergency Medical Technicians.Prehospital Emergency Care.13(3):357-363.xiii 11.Descriptive Statistics, Unadjusted Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals Relating Continuous Independent Variables to Occupational Injury or Illness ................................ 65 12. Adjusted Odds Ratios, 95% Confidence Intervals, and p-values from the Final Logistic Regression Model for Occupational Injury or Illness ..............................
Author: Antonio R. Fernandez
Institution: The Ohio State University
Language: English
Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2601584859