NEMSQA 2025 Report: In Trauma Care, Consistency Outperforms Heroics

IRVING, TX — December 22, 2025 — It isn't the dramatic, rare procedures that drive survival rates in trauma care—it is the consistent execution of the basics.

This is the central conclusion of the 2025 Annual EMS Measures Report released today by the National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA). Utilizing 2024 data from the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS), the report shifts the focus from "High-Acuity, Low-Occurrence" (HALO) events to the high-frequency practices that actually determine patient outcomes.

Measuring What Matters The report highlights that while procedures like needle decompression occur in only 0.07% of cases, fundamental actions—such as preventing hypoxia in TBI patients and ensuring timely trauma alerts—have a massive impact on daily survival rates.

“HALO interventions remain essential... but what changes survival for most trauma patients is consistency in the basics,” said Maia Dorsett, Co-Chair of the Measure Analysis and Research Committee. “They may lack drama—but they are what save lives.”

Advancing Evidence-Based Change The report also details NEMSQA's rigorous approach to "topped-out" measures, ensuring that high national scores don't mask gaps in care for specific populations.

"Standardized measurement is essential to transform EMS from anecdote-based improvement to evidence-based system change," said Michael Redlener, NEMSQA Board President.

The full report is available for download here: https://www.nemsqa.org/2025-measures-report-trauma

The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) is the nation's leader in the development and endorsement of evidence-based quality measures for EMS.  Formed in 2019, NEMSQA is an independent non-profit organization comprised of stakeholders from national EMS organizations, federal agencies, EMS system leaders and providers, EMS quality improvement and data experts as well as those who support prehospital care with the goal to improve EMS systems of care, patient outcomes, provider safety and well-being on a national level.

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ImageTrend Joins National EMS Quality Alliance

March 5, 2024 – LAKEVILLE, MN– The National EMS Quality Alliance (NEMSQA) is pleased to announce the addition of ImageTrend as a new Platinum corporate partner. ImageTrend is supporting NEMSQA's continuous efforts to develop evidence-based quality measures for emergency medical services (EMS) and healthcare partners, and give EMS systems the tools they need to make measurable improvements.

"We are incredibly honored to partner with NEMSQA as their mission aligns with ours. By working together, we will be able to empower EMS organizations with the right tools, benchmarks and data to help them not only elevate their service quality but also impact patient outcomes. We can’t wait to see the possibilities this partnership will bring to EMS,” said Patrick Sheahan, President and CEO of ImageTrend.

NEMSQA is the organization that sets the standard for EMS quality measures, dedicated to developing, endorsing, and promoting evidence-based quality measures for EMS and healthcare systems to improve care and outcomes for patients, providers, and the community. NEMSQA brings together a diverse group of experts in EMS clinical care, data standards and quality improvement through a collaborative, sustainable process.

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