COLUMBUS, Ohio — The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) launched a website for the Longitudinal Inquiry into Fire and EMS (LIFE) Health Study, a new collaborative research effort designed to examine the cumulative health risks firefighters and EMS clinicians face during their careers.
Known as the LIFE Study, the project will follow firefighters and EMS clinicians over time, collecting information about occupational exposures and health outcomes.
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Researchers will examine how exposure to harmful substances, job-related injuries, workplace violence and physical and psychological stress may intersect and accumulate. Those risks may contribute to cardiovascular disease, cancer and mental health disorders, according to the National Registry.
Although researchers have studied individual occupational hazards, the organization said no large-scale longitudinal study has evaluated their combined effects on firefighters and EMS clinicians.
“Firefighters and EMS clinicians dedicate their careers to protecting others, yet we still do not fully understand how the exposures, injuries and stress they experience accumulate over time,” said Ashish Panchal, MD, PhD, the study’s lead principal investigator.
Panchal is a professor of emergency medicine at Ohio State University and the NREMT research director.
“The LIFE Study brings together experts and organizations from across fire, EMS and occupational health to build the long-term evidence needed to better protect the people who protect our communities,” Panchal said.
The National Registry is leading the project in collaboration with the Emergency Medicine Network, the Ohio State University College of Medicine, National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI USA), the University of Arizona and Uniformed Services University/NIDHC.
The study team includes specialists in emergency medicine, fire and EMS health, public health, psychiatry, epidemiology, occupational health and research operations.
Researchers intend for the results to support future safety policies, health interventions, workplace practices and additional research.
The new LIFE Study website outlines the project’s purpose and longitudinal research approach. It also provides information about participating organizations, research and advisory teams, frequently asked questions and study news.
The study is not currently recruiting participants or investigators, but anyone interested in the research can sign up through the LIFE Study website to receive updates, including future opportunities to participate.
