Understanding the prehospital physician controversy. Step 1: comparing competencies of ambulance nurses and prehospital physicians.

Objective In many European countries prehospital care by emergency medical services (EMS) is supplemented by physician-staffed services. There is ongoing controversy on the benefits of a prehospital physician. Possible advantages are additional competencies of the physician. Similarities and differences in competencies of EMS providers and physicians have however never been studied. This study aims to compare competencies of ambulance nurses and helicopter EMS physicians in the Netherlands to gain better insight into the controversy of the prehospital physician.