University of Wisconsin–Madison
The newly updated cover page for the EMS protocols, policies, and procedures, featuring the UW EMS Consortium logo prominently.

About Our EMS Protocols

We maintain a contemporary set of evidence-based patient care protocols for EMS. While developing our protocols we consider multiple factors, including:

  • Legal requirements (e.g., Wisconsin DHS EMS Scope of Practice).
  • The strength of evidence supporting or refuting an intervention. We consider both primary literature (i.e., research studies) and consensus statements from reputable authorities, such as the National Association of EMS Physicians.
  • Local attitudes and preferences from service directors and front line EMS clinicians.
  • Cost-effectiveness of care, especially when multiple equally efficacious options are available to treat a particular problem.
  • Parity with protocols produced by other healthcare systems.

We aim to release major updates to the protocols every two years. Between major updates, we consider smaller updates to ensure that the protocols remain safe and usable over their lifespan.