EM professionals operate in high-stress, noisy environments where they are routinely exposed to alarms, sirens, and traumatic events. Emergency medical (EM) professionals include healthcare workers in pre-hospital care (EMS) and the emergency department (ED). Noise may impact the accuracy of vital signs recorded in the field and impede clinical decision-making when patients first arrive at the emergency department.
This study investigates noise exposure levels in EM workers, with the goal of identifying potential risks to their hearing health and patient care outcomes. There is currently limited and outdated data on EM workers, unlike firefighters and musicians.
Noise exposure levels will be measured using Apple Watch sound level data (measured in decibels). This data will be combined with a survey about hearing health and the impact of noise on job performance. Participant recruitment and data collection will begin in late Summer. The long-term goal of this work is to raise awareness of potential unrecognized health risks in EM workers and also provide data to help guide hearing conservation protocols, noise-reduction policies, and burnout/safety risk mitigation programs.
