Communication for Medical Advices between Prehospital Providers and Physician Medical Directors

Jung, Sang Heon; Jeong, Jinwoo; Chung, Jun Young; Yun, Young Hyun; Lee, Jae Hoon

J Korean Soc Emerg Med > Volume 26(5); 2015 > Article

Original Article

Journal of The Korean Society of Emergency Medicine 2015;26(5): 430-436.

직접 의료 지도를 위한 교신내용의 분석

정상헌¹, 정진우¹, 정준영¹, 윤영현², 이재훈¹

¹동아대학교 의과대학 응급의학교실
²MH연세병원 응급의학과

Communication for Medical Advices between Prehospital Providers and Physician Medical Directors

Sang Heon Jung¹, Jinwoo Jeong¹, Jun Young Chung¹, Young Hyun Yun², Jae Hoon Lee¹

¹Department of Emergency Medicine, College of Medicine, Dong-A University, Busan, Korea
²Department of Emergency Medicine, MH Yonsei Hospital, Gyeongsangnamdo, Korea

Correspondence

Jinwoo Jeong ,Tel: 051) 240-5590, Fax: 051) 240-5309, Email: advanced@lifesupport.pe.kr,

Received: May 22, 2015; Revised: May 26, 2015 Accepted: July 28, 2015. Published online: October 30, 2015.

ABSTRACT

Purpose:
On-line medical control, in addition to indirect control like protocols, is known to exert a positive effect on the quality of prehospital care. Because the decision-making process of directing physicians depends on the information provided by prehospital providers via telecommunication, brief and organized reporting of significant points is of paramount importance.
Method:
Telecommunications regarding direct medical control provided by emergency physicians in a university hospital were recorded from May 1 to June 30, 2012. All communications were between cellular phones. Analysis of the recorded dialogues was performed by an independent researcher.
Results:
A total of 115 cases were included for analyses. Affiliated fire offices were reported in 107 (93.0%) cases, while certification of responding officers was reported in only 62 (53.9%) cases. All five vital signs were reported in only 9 cases (7.8%), including blood pressure, heart rate, respiration rate, temperature, and oxygen saturation. Procedures delivered before telephone contact were reported in 30.4% of cases, and reporting rate of patient response to treatment was 16.5%. Estimated times of arrival to the destined hospital were reported in only 8.7%.
Conclusion:
Reporting procedures regarding prehospital direct medical control should be concise and comprehensive, including essential elements like certification of the provider, consciousness and vital signs of the patient, and estimated time of hospital arrival.

Key words: Emergency medical service communication systems, Physician executives, Emergency medical services