Associate Professor of Special Education Katherine Koch, MEd, Ph.D., NRP, recently published a new book, "Case Studies in EMS: A Reflective Approach." The collection explores real-world emergency medical services (EMS) situations for paramedics, EMTs, students and educators to enhance their decision-making in emergency response situations.
Koch specializes in teaching courses on special education, including intellectual and learning disabilities, emotional and behavioral disorders, instructional methods, and research design. Koch is also the author of "EMS Response to Patients with Special Needs: Assessment, Treatment, and Transport," a textbook that bridges the fields of emergency medical services and disability. In addition to her academic work, she serves as a volunteer paramedic with the St. Mary’s County Advanced Life Support Unit, bringing firsthand clinical experience to both her teaching and research.
Case studies are an effective way to support teaching and learning. They allow for connecting theory to practice by introducing students to realistic concepts and then encouraging them to discuss and problem-solve in a safe and nonthreatening way. "Case Studies in EMS: A Reflective Approach" provides EMS providers, both basic and advanced life support (BLS & ALS), with realistic scenarios of a variety of emergency situations, including cardiac arrest, trauma, overdose, childbirth and much more. Each case in Part 1 is presented as a narrative event with vital signs and other details in a table. This is followed by several questions for discussion, a scholarly bibliography and relevant websites for further reference. Part 2 contains additional education content highlighting components of the case studies with the goal of providing a bridge between theory and practice, examining medical and social contexts and encouraging critical thinking. This material was selected to go beyond typical coursework and provide the nuance and flexibility needed when working in the real world.
This new resource provides:
- The opportunity to discuss and problem-solve potentially complex prehospital situations
- Increased knowledge of prehospital medical, trauma, and other emergency situations
- The opportunity to work through emergency situations with other providers in an educational setting
