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EMST

EMST mission statement
History of EMST
EMST philosophy and background
EMST vision statement
Major goals

EMST mission statement

The Early Management of Severe Trauma Committee seeks to promote the highest standard of initial care for injured patients through a multidisciplinary trauma education program.

History of EMST

Through the work of the National Road Trauma Committee in the prevention of injury, particularly that related to road trauma, it was recognised that the initial medical management of the injured patient could have a significant effect on mortality or the degree of disability suffered. Further, the need for a standardised approach to the management of the severely injured was deemed essential in the provision of a high standard of medical care.

In the late 1980s, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons sought permission from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) to import the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS®) training programme to Australasia. The course was established as the Early Management of Severe Trauma (EMST) in 1988. The broad aim of the EMST program was to provide a minimum uniform standard of early medical care to the injured. The first provider course was held in December 1988 and the first Instructor course was held soon after.

Throughout its development over the last decade, the EMST program has maintained its links to the National Trauma Committee of the RACS and the parent organisation, ATLS®. A Memorandum of Understanding between EMST (RACS) and ATLS® (ACS) was signed in 1995.

Up to the year 2003, a total of 8672 medical practitioners have completed the EMST program. Of which, 473 have progressed to become instructors and directors of the program.

• Since 1992, successful completion of the EMST course has been a Fellowship requirement for advanced surgical trainees of the RACS, advanced anaesthetic trainees of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) and some trainees in the Rural Pathway of the General Practitioners Education and Training program (previously known as RACGP Rural Training Stream) Since 2000, the EMST course has become an educational component of the RACS' restructured program for basic surgical training.

• EMST expanded its courses beyond Australia and New Zealand to Papua New Guinea in 1993. Ten courses have been completed at Port Moresby General Hospital since 1993. A number of participants have progressed to become EMST instructors.

• The EMST program assisted the ATLS® International Committee in 1994 in the tuition of instructors and in the instruction of initial courses to develop the ATLS® program in Indonesia. In 2003, the EMST program assisted in this same way to develop the ATLS ® program in Thailand.

• EMST runs courses for the Australian Defence Forces (ADF) and members of the EMST instructor panel are also reservists in the armed forces.

• In recognition of the service contributions and teaching excellence of its faculty members, the EMST Committee in 1996 developed the EMST Scholarship programme. As part of their continuing medical education in trauma, recipients of the Scholarship can visit another country where the EMST/ATLS® course is conducted to teach on an ATLS® course and visit a trauma centre specialising in areas of their interest.

• In 2003, the EMST Committee introduced the Gordon Trinca Medal, an award to recognise outstanding contribution to the EMST program. The purpose of this award is to recognise and promote contribution to trauma care with a particular emphasis on trauma education and teaching.

The EMST program has become a highly renowned and admired part of the trauma education syllabus for doctors at all levels in Australasia.

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EMST philosophy and background

The purpose of the EMST Course is to orientate doctors to the initial assessment and management of the trauma victim. In general, the content and skills presented in the course are designed to assist doctors in providing the first hour of emergency care for the trauma patient.

The EMST program has been structured to maximise its relevance in rural as well as urban Australia and New Zealand. This is in recognition of the limited continuing education opportunities available to rural road trauma, and the limited specialty expertise and technology available in many rural practitioners and to those participating in team responses to trauma patients in major city hospitals.

The EMST Committee has striven to ensure that course positions remain available to a wide range of medical graduates. The sharing of insights and experiences among a wide varied group of participants has been a strong contribution to the satisfaction achieved by almost all course participants.

The long term goals of the EMST program are to create a new and uniform standard of early medical care to injured Australians and New Zealanders, to ensure that all junior medical staff in hospitals in Australia and New Zealand are exposed to EMST training, and to establish a standard of education in trauma care of such quality that those in allied health fields ( eg Nursing, Ambulance service) will seek to emulate it with complimentary programmes for other disciplines, nurses and ambulance personnel which are instigated and presented by those who have participated in EMST courses.

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EMST vision statement

• The Early Management of Severe Trauma (EMST) Committee will provide multidisciplinary evidence based trauma education which advocates principles and practices that ensure the highest quality and standards of care in the initial treatment of severely injured patients.

• It is the vision of the EMST Committee that medical practitioners caring for injured people in Australia, New Zealand and other nations of the Asia Pacific region will be able to access the Program as part of their ongoing postgraduate education.

• The further growth and development of the EMST Program is predicated on the continuing strong involvement of dedicated and highly committed individuals. The EMST Committee will seek to enhance the professional recognition of EMST instructors and co-ordinators.

• The EMST Committee will collaborate with other trauma courses to provide the broadest range of skills and knowledge to medical practitioners involved in trauma care.

• The EMST Committee will have strong links with the ATLS® international community and the ATLS® Subcommittee of the ACS in expanding the provision of the EMST/ATLS® course to the Asia-Pacific region.

• The maintenance of a centralised administration to co-ordinate and support the Program is also deemed essential to the smooth conduct and extension of the Program. It is supported by a regional network of course directors, instructors and co-ordinators.

• The valued continuing advice, guidance and support of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons and its Trauma Committee are vital to the ethos, growth and success of the EMST Program.

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Major goals

• To optimise the early care of severely injured patients, eliminating preventable, adverse outcomes.
• To provide the EMST/ATLS® course to all medical practitioners seeking skills and knowledge related to acute trauma care.
• To achieve and maintain the highest standards of trauma education.
• To develop and improve the EMST/ATLS® course in response to continuing evaluation, feedback and research.
• To generate and foster sustained enthusiastic commitment to quality trauma care.
• To strengthen national and international links between providers of trauma education to enhance the conduct of the EMST Program.

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