Volume : 12, Issue : 11, November – 2025

Title:

CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN EMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS AND PATIENT SAFETY OUTCOMES

Authors :

Meshal Homed Gamsh Almalki, Abdulaziz Saleh Alghamdi, Zahi Abdullah Alqarni, Alhassan Raad Nami Alsharif, Hassan Mohammed Hassan Alfqih, Mohammad Ali Alshaike, Bandar Ali Alghamdi, Abdullah Nami Almagati, Abdulrahman Aayd Alaryani, Mohammed Saeed Al-Zahrani

Abstract :

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operate in high-stakes, dynamic environments where human error can have severe consequences. Crew Resource Management (CRM), a training strategy focused on non-technical skills (NTS) like communication and leadership, has been widely adopted to enhance teamwork and patient safety. However, a comprehensive synthesis of its effectiveness in the prehospital setting is needed. This systematic review aimed to critically appraise and synthesize the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CRM training in improving NTS among EMS personnel and its impact on patient safety and clinical performance outcomes. A systematic search was conducted across multiple electronic databases (e.g., PubMed, Embase, CINAHL) from inception to the present, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies involving EMS providers receiving structured CRM training were included. Outcomes of interest were NTS (primary) and patient safety/clinical performance (secondary). Study quality was assessed using design-specific tools. Of 3,215 identified records, 29 studies were included. The review found consistent and significant evidence that CRM training improves NTS, including communication (e.g., reducing failures by 50%), leadership, and situation awareness. Positive effects on clinical performance, particularly improved adherence to protocols (e.g., Advanced Trauma Life Support), were also demonstrated. However, direct evidence linking CRM to hard patient outcomes (e.g., mortality) remains limited. The evidence base was characterized by heterogeneous interventions and a moderate to high risk of bias. CRM training is effective in enhancing non-technical skills and certain clinical performance measures in EMS. It represents a critical strategy for improving teamwork and safety culture. Future research should employ more rigorous methodologies, including randomized controlled trials with long-term follow-up and standardized outcome measures, to firmly establish its impact on definitive patient safety outcomes.
Keywords: Crew Resource Management, Emergency Medical Services, Non-Technical Skills, Patient Safety, Systematic Review, Teamwork

Cite This Article:

Please cite this article in press Meshal Homed Gamsh Almalki et al., Crew Resource Management In Ems: A Systematic Review Of Training Effectiveness And Patient Safety Outcomes, Indo Am. J. P. Sci, 2025; 12(11).

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