The principles of Crisis Resource Management (CRM) aim to mitigate the risks associated with a potential crisis and improve patient safety. Effective teamwork and communication are key CRM elements in emergency care medicine. This article will explore their importance in the context of pre-hospital emergency care in Qatar, which is provided by the national Ambulance Service (HMCAS). The national and organizational environments are culturally very diverse which presents particular challenges that can impede the CRM principles, and 2 ultimately affect patient care. This is especially worrying if emergency care practitioners (EMC) are not forthcoming with their concerns and allow patients to be endangered. To partly counteract the individual cultural diversity within the organization, HMCAS recognized the importance of trying to inculcate a different organisational culture promoting an environment whereby practitioners can speak up, irrespective of culture, nationality, or the presence of more senior or experienced colleagues. To that effect CRM principles are a core element of the HMCAS EMC practitioners' orientation programme and continuing professional development (CPD) courses. Special emphasis is made on the key principles of teamwork and communication, and in relation to mutual support, feedback, and speaking up when concerns arise. Regular training involving all role players (including supervisors) in different settings, and appropriately simulated scenarios that call for application of CRM principles is required to further improve the quality of EMC service in Qatar.

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The risk of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) transmission in the confined mobile ambulance compartment is increased during aerosol-generating procedures and close proximity. Paramedics are encouraged to increase body-surface-isolation by donning additional personal protective equipment (PPE) during patient encounters. This study aimed to better understand paramedics’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to PPE use during the COVID-19 pandemic in the prehospital setting with a focus on mitigating risks associated with infection control. This prospective quantitative study collected descriptive data using a specifically designed data collection tool. The survey data was then cleaned and analyzed with Microsoft Excel® and the latest version of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. One thousand frontline paramedics employed by the Hamad Medical Corporation Ambulance Service () were invited via email to participate in the study. A total of 282 (28.2% of frontline paramedics) paramedics completed the online survey, of which 80.1% completed the mandatory online infection control training program within the last year, and 17.0% between one to two years ago. Approximately 83% of the participants had completed an N95 mask fit test at within the past five years, and 91.5% completed the hand hygiene training. The study found that 98.2% of the paramedics were knowledgeable about COVID-19 and its transmission, while 96.1% agreed that aerosol-generating procedures increased airborne transmission. The paramedics’ attitudes were mainly positive toward the use of PPE to prevent the spread of the virus, which was synchronous with their practice. The sample population demonstrated a strong knowledge of COVID-19 and its transmission. Their overall positive attitudes and good infection control practices were demonstrative of efforts to mitigate risks associated with the spread of the virus.