What the Evidence Really Says About Cervical Collars with Dr. Jeff Jarvis and Dr. Ben Abo

What the Evidence Really Says About Cervical Collars with Dr. Jeff Jarvis and Dr. Ben Abo

Author: Ross Orpet, Paramedic turned EMS Physician July 20, 2026 Duration: 1:16:12
The hardest part of evidence-based medicine is not finding a paper. It is deciding whether that paper should change what you do on your next shift.First, we talk with Dr. Jeff Jarvis about how to evaluate medical literature beyond the headline, abstract, conclusion, or p-value. You’ll hear about the PICO framework and why patient-oriented outcomes should matter more than the numbers that are easiest to measure.Then, Ross talks with emergency physician Dr. Ben Abo about the evidence surrounding rigid cervical collars. He also shares how his EMS system removed collars from its ambulances by involving trauma surgeons, neurosurgeons, emergency clinicians, and frontline providers in the change. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use population, intervention or exposure, comparison, and outcome to decide whether a study applies to the patients you actually treat Why return of spontaneous circulation, p-values, and national benchmarks can distract clinicians from the outcomes patients care about most What the literature suggests about cervical collars, spinal cord perfusion, airway compromise, aspiration risk, intracranial pressure, and pressure injuries How to bring research to a medical director and change a long-standing protocol    Resources:NAEMSP Trauma Compendium: Prehospital Management of Spinal Cord InjuriesWant more? Sign up for our weekly newsletter, The Confidence Dispatch.Want individualized coaching and mentorship? Check out The Loud & Clear Fellowship.Just have a question and want some personalized help? Book a free coaching call with us.Interested in ABLS Now? Our listeners get 10% off and a chance to win a free subscription. Enter before August 1, 2026.   Guests:Dr. Jeff Jarvis, MD, MS, EMT-PDr. Ben Abo, DO, EMT-PGuest Host: Matt Hedlun, Battalion Chief of Education at Thompson Valley EMS

Stepping out of the classroom and into the rig is where the real learning begins, but that transition often leaves even seasoned providers with a lingering doubt. Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles addresses that gap directly, moving past the basic protocols to explore the foundational reasoning that makes for excellent prehospital care. Hosted by Ross Orpet, a paramedic who now practices as an EMS physician, this podcast digs into the "why" behind the algorithms. It’s built on the understanding that no textbook can possibly cover every unique scenario you’ll encounter on the road. Instead of just listing steps, each episode examines the core principles that guide critical decisions when the situation doesn't fit a neat checklist. You’ll hear discussions that bridge the gap between field experience and medical rationale, focusing on the adaptive thinking required for complex emergencies. This is advanced continuing education designed for paramedics, EMTs, and all prehospital providers who feel that standard training was just the beginning. The conversations in this series aim to solidify your clinical judgment, helping you build confidence through comprehension. By tuning in, you gain access to a deeper level of professional development, where the objective is to think clearer and act more decisively, no matter how many days you have on the job. This podcast serves as a vital resource for those committed to mastering their craft beyond the basics.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Loud & Clear: EMS Guiding Principles - Advanced Continuing Education for Paramedics, EMTs & Prehospital Care Providers
Podcast Episodes
Pediatric Sepsis with Dr. Peter Antevy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:50
Pediatric sepsis is easy to miss because the first hour often looks ordinary. Kids compensate, until they don't. In this episode, Will Berry talks with Dr. Peter Antevy about the case that still bothers him and why fluid…
How to Build Procedural Skills - That Actually Stick [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:37:52
Most EMS skills training creates an illusion of competence. You drill a procedure, check a box, and move on. But what does the research actually show about competency and retention? Dr. Jason Hine (EM physician, SimKit f…
How to Fail Better in EMS: A Framework for Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:18
Stephanie Suzadail's favorite word is "fail." She'll tell you why and how we should embrace it. In this episode she walks through the difference between failure that builds you and failure that breaks you. Why Sisyphus i…
Great Mentors Shape Better Clinicians [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:33
Don't Be A Field Training Officer Be A Field Training Mentor. Field training is about more than teaching skills, it shapes culture, standards, and the kind of clinician someone becomes. In this episode, Ross sits down wi…
Frozen Fingers, Time Is Tissue: The Prehospital Approach to Frostbite [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:06
Frostbite is more dangerous than it looks and easier to make worse than you think. In this episode, Ross and Will sit down with Dr. Greg Doctor, a wilderness medicine specialist and emergency physician practicing in the…
Wired to Fail: The Science of Human Error in EMS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:17
What if the mistake wasn't your fault... but it's still your responsibility? That's the tension Shay Montgomery sits with every time she talks about the day she flew to a scene without the drug bag. Shay is a flight nurs…