The Los Angeles County (LAC) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system is a complex network of ground and air medical 9-1-1 response agencies, ambulance providers, and receiving hospitals. Data management in the complex system is an ongoing challenge. This is especially true for pediatric patient data. There is no current infrastructure to support a pediatric EMS data registry that links EMS data to hospital outcomes data in Los Angeles. This means advancements in pediatric EMS medicine cannot be studied or evaluated effectively beyond the EMS sphere.

Specific Aims:

  1. To gather a multi-disciplinary team across LA County with expertise regarding research, data science, regulations, and ethics towards development of a pediatric EMS Data Registry that combines EMS data and hospital data for children transported by LAC EMS to any of the 73 9-1-1 receiving hospitals in the County.
  2. To develop a roadmap, funding strategies, and implementation strategies towards the pediatric EMS Data Registry. This includes outlining the specific steps required, including identifying the priorities and addressing barriers, to work towards development of an sustainable pediatric EMS registry within Los Angeles County.

The team includes multidisciplinary experts in pediatric emergency medicine, emergency medical services (EMS), data science, health policy, and regulatory/ethical domains, alongside consultants with expertise in data systems, enterprise data management, and clinical research.

Team Building Activities include:

  • Workshop 01 – In-person – Reverse KJ Merlin Exercise: The team conducts a structured exercise to identify barriers, cluster challenges, and define priorities and next steps for developing the data registry.
  • Interim: The team uses asynchronous communication to maintain progress while identifying and engaging additional stakeholders and expertise.
  • Workshop 02 – In-Person or Virtual – Addressing Barriers and Developing Teams and Funding strategies: The team and invited experts collaborate in discussions and small-group exercises to address barriers, refine strategies, and outline funding and implementation plans.