EMS Evidence-Based Practice Center

The Pittsburgh EMS Evidence-Based Practice Center (EMS-EPC) was established to aid the decision-making of EMS medical directors, administrators and EMS professionals.  The faculty and staff of the EMS-EPC perform systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the evidence germane to the clinical practice and operations of prehospital emergency care.

Key staff includes project coordinators and research specialists in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Emergency Medicine, faculty and staff affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Health Sciences Library System, students and faculty affiliated with the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Emergency Medicine Program, students and faculty affiliated with the School of Public Health, and medical students and physician residents affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.


Completed Projects

Acute Effect of Night Shift Work on Endothelial Function with and without Naps: A Scoping Review

Daniel Patterson, Jacob Friedman, Samuel Ding, Rebekah Miller, Christian Martin-Gill, David Hostler, Thomas Platt | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2023)

Masking by health care and public safety workers in non-patient care areas to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection: A systematic review

Daniel Patterson, Quentin Mcilvaine, Lily Nong, Mary Liszka, Rebekah Miller, Francis Guyette, Christian Martin-Gill | Journal of the American College of Emergency Physicians Open (2022)

Does the evidence support brief (≤30-mins), moderate (31-60-mins), or long duration naps (61+ mins) on the night shift? A systematic review

Daniel Patterson, Mary Liszka, Quentin Mcilvaine, Lily Nong, Matthew Weaver, Rose Turner, Thomas Platt, Samantha Opitz, Francis Guyette, Christian Martin-Gill, Leonard Weiss, Daniel Buysse, Clifton Callaway | Sleep Medicine Review (2021)

Impact of shift work on blood pressure among emergency medical services clinicians and related shift workers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Daniel Patterson, Kristina Mountz, Caitlin Budd, Jenna Bubb, Autsin Hsin, Matthew Weaver, Rose Turner, Thomas Platt, Francis Guyette, Christian Martin-Gill, Daniel Buysse, Clifton Callaway | Sleep Health (2020)

Does evidence support "banking/extending sleep" by shift workers to mitigate fatigue, and/or to improve health, safety, or performance? A systematic review

Daniel Patterson, Joshua Ghen, Samuel Antoon, Christian Martin-Gill, Francis Guyette, Patricia Weiss, Rose Turner, Daniel Buysse | Sleep Health (2019)

Absence and Need for Fatigue Risk Management in Emergency Medical Services

Daniel Patterson and Christian Martin-Gill | Prehospital Emergency Care (2018)

Effects of Napping During Shift Work on Sleepiness and Performance in Emergency Medical Services Personnel and Similar Shift Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Christian Martin-Gill, Laura Barger, Charity Moore, Stephen Higgins, Ellen Teasley, Patricia Weiss, Joseph Condle, Katharyn Flickinger, Patrick Coppler, Denisse Sequeira, Ayushi Divecha, Margaret Matthews, Eddy Lang, Daniel Patterson | Prehospital Emergency Care (2018)

Systematic Review Methodology for the Fatigue in Emergency Medical Services Project

Daniel Patterson, Stephen Higgins, Patricia Weiss, Eddy Lang, Christian Martin-Gill | Prehospital Emergency Care (2018)

Reliability and Validity of Survey Instruments to Measure Work-Related Fatigue in the Emergency Medical Services Setting: A Systematic Review

Daniel Patterson, Matthew Weaver, Anthony Fabio, Ellen Teasley, Megan Renn, Brett Curtis, Margaret Matthews, Andrew Kroemer, Xiashuang Xun, Zhadyra Bizhanova, Patricia Weiss, Denisse Sequeira, Patrick Coppler, Eddy Lang, Stephen Higgins | Prehospital Emergency Care (2018)

Shorter Versus Longer Shift Durations to Mitigate Fatigue and Fatigue-Related Risks in Emergency Medical Services Personnel and Related Shift Workers: A Systematic Review

Daniel Patterson, Michael Runyon, Stephen Higgins, Matthew Weaver, Ellen Teasley, Andrew Kroemer, Margaret Matthews, Brett Curtis, Katharyn Flickinger, Xiaoshuang Xun, Zhadyra Bizhanova, Patricia Weiss, Joseph Condle, Megan Renn, Denisse Sequeira, Patrick Coppler, Eddy Lang, Christian Martin-Gill | Prehospital Emergency Care (2018)