How can quality and performance be measured within a physician-led Community Emergency Medical service? A scoping review protocol

Abstract

Abstract Background Quality and performance measurement as part of quality improvement in healthcare is integral for service delivery and development. This is particularly pertinent for health services that deliver care in ways that differ from traditional practice. Community Emergency Medicine (CEM) is a novel and evolving concept of care delivered by services in parts of the UK and Ireland. This scoping review aims to provide a broad overview of how quality and performance may be measured within services delivering CEM.Methods and Analysis Methodology follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and is guided by recognised work of Arksey and O’Malley and the guidelines developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Several databases will be searched: Medline, Embase, Emcare, CINAHL, Scopus, the Cochrane library and grey literature. Search terms have been developed by representatives within Community Emergency Medicine services. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible studies for final study selection. Results will be collected and analysed in descriptive and tabular form to illustrate the breadth of measurement that may be applicable to CEM services. This scoping review protocol has been registered with the Open Science Framework platform (osf.io/e7qxg).Discussion This is the first stage of a larger research study aimed at developing national quality indicators for CEM. The purpose of this scoping review is provide a comprehensive review of quality measures that could be used within CEM. The results will be mapped using a framework and identify gaps in the literature to help guide future focused research.