Project description
A more homogeneous emergency medical service
Every country in the European Union has its own emergency medical services system (EMSS). When emergency strikes, Europeans count on these systems to respond with timely and high-quality care. Despite similarities, there is no common European system and professional standards, organisational structures and coordination mechanisms vary widely across EU Member States. The EU-funded iProcureSecurity project will examine the major challenges the systems diversity creates when it is necessary for EU Member States to work together. It will also tackle capability gaps and promote Research & Innovation to increase standardisation of emergency operations across Europe. Their goal is the creation of a European system of medical emergency teams that will be able to work as a single entity.
Objective
Emergency Medical Services in Europe are characterised by a pluralistic landscape with diverse organisational setups, professional standards, coordination mechanisms and actors which result from different historical and institutional contexts in EU member states. However, diversity is united by the common aim, of providing timely care to victims of sudden and life-threatening injuries, emergencies or disasters within EU-member states (EUMS), in cross-border settings and international humanitarian missions. Fostering the response capacities and increasing the cooperation of the European Emergency Medical Services Systems (EMSS) is of decisive importance for strengthening the resilience of European societies in the light of multiple hazards: Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of disasters, terrorism is becoming a very real scenario for mass causality events challenging both out-of-hospital as well as in-hospital emergency care, and health related hazards are calling for close cooperation of public safety and health authorities on an international level. Not only hazards but also the system’s diversity poses a challenge for preparedness planning and cooperation, which needs to involve the whole EMS system at regional and/or national level and integrate it into the whole health system and fully coordinate with the public safety system to be effective. The iProcureSecurity project seeks to identify the major challenges the system’s diversity poses to the ability to work together, stimulate R&I uptake with a view to increasing standardisation of operations across Europe, and deliver technical requirements for R&I activities to create a European system of Medical Emergency Teams that is more homogeneous and capable to work as singly unit. To achieve this aim, the project will engage in several exchange cycles with practitioners and other stakeholders in the innovation landscape as a preparation for major R&I activities as part of a PCP action.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.3.7. - Secure societies - Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens Main Programme
- H2020-EU.3.7.6. - Ensure privacy and freedom, including in the Internet and enhance the societal, legal and ethical understanding of all areas of security, risk and management
- H2020-EU.3.7.2. - Protect and improve the resilience of critical infrastructures, supply chains and tranport modes
- H2020-EU.3.7.3. - Strengthen security through border management
- H2020-EU.3.7.1. - Fight crime, illegal trafficking and terrorism, including understanding and tackling terrorist ideas and beliefs
- H2020-EU.3.7.7. - Enhance stadardisation and interoperability of systems, including for emergency purposes
- H2020-EU.3.7.8. - Support the Union's external security policies including through conflict prevention and peace-building
- H2020-EU.3.7.5. - Increase Europe's resilience to crises and disasters
Funding Scheme
CSA - Coordination and support actionCoordinator
1060 Wien
Austria
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.