Date of Award

Winter 2006

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program/Concentration

Urban Services--Health Services

Committee Director

Clare Houseman

Committee Member

Stacey Plichta

Committee Member

John Echternach

Abstract

A dynamic and revolutionary health care system compels the Nation to develop a more cohesive, unified healthcare workforce. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) profession has contributed to this development with the publication of the EMS Agenda for the Future. The EMS Agenda for the Future describes the future direction for emergency medical services agencies and organizations within the nation. It is a vision that integrates EMS systems with other health care professions. The EMS Agenda for the Future is designed to assist EMS professionals in realizing their full potential for proficiency and contributes to the development of the EMS profession. Much of the success of the implementation of the EMS Agenda for the Future will depend on the attitudes of the EMS workforce. Nine years after its publication, attitudes of EMS providers about the Agenda were still unknown. This study explores a representative regional sample of EMS providers' attitudes about the EMS Agenda for the Future. The study is based on the Tripartite Model of Attitudes which explains attitudes as a combination of affect, beliefs and behaviors. A survey instrument was created that explores each supporting construct of the model as well as factors that inhibit or enhance the EMS Agenda's 14 distinguished attributes. Validity and reliability of the survey instrument were obtained using two expert panels, employees in an urban fire-based EMS system, and piloted among four states.

DOI

10.25777/jaqj-2d61

ISBN

978-1-109-83502-1

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