Fatigue Risk Management in Privately Contracted Ambulance Services: A Countermeasures Approach
Date
2020-06
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Abstract
Fatigue in the transportation industry is a significant threat to the safety of employees and
citizens. Ambulance transportation of the sick and injured is not classified as falling
under the transportation industry; however, ambulance transport shares many of the same
risks as other transportation modes. Fatigue is associated with impaired critical thinking,
reaction time, memory, and each of these negative side effects of fatigue can have a
direct impact on positive patient outcomes. This research was designed to explore
current fatigue risk management (FRM) mechanisms used among privately contracted
911 ambulance providers in California and what, if any, tools are used to monitor and
mitigate fatigue among emergency medical technicians (EMT) and paramedics. The
significance of the research contributes to public administration theory utilizing complex
systems theory through an examination of the problem of relationships and structure of
the feedback mechanisms in fatigue monitoring within privately contracted 911
ambulances. The ability of EMS administrators to regulate risks posed to citizens by
fatigued private ambulance EMTs and paramedics is a significant concern. The research
on fatigue among privately contracted 911 ambulance EMTs and paramedics, as well as
the role of local EMS administrators, is required to make certain assumptions about the
broader prehospital emergency medical services population as it applies to fatigue risk
management.
Description
A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Public Administration
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Keywords
Public Administration, Health Care Management