Medizinische Universität Graz - Research portal
Selected Publication:
Lang, A.
Qualität der Leitstellendisposition in Bezug auf die sanitätshilfliche Vorbildung des Disponenten.
[ Diplomarbeit/Master Thesis ] Medical University of Graz; 2010. pp.60.
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- Authors Med Uni Graz:
- Advisor:
- Farzi Sylvia Ingrid
- Prause Gerhard
- Altmetrics:
- Abstract:
- Emergency call takers and dispatchers working in the statewide medical emergency dispatching center of the Austrian Red Cross, Styria, have to decide about dispatching an emergency physician manned ambulance day after day. In the larger metropolitan area of Graz they receive feedback about the operation directly from the rescue teams after each emergency by an online feedback application. From this database, we analyzed 10,463 missions, which had been decided to be a medical emergency in need of an emergency physician on site by the dispatcher because of the telephone conversation. Approximately three out of four missions (75.4%) had been considered as correct by the emergency physicians on site. It seems both an effect of training (medical professionals more often decided correctly as an emergency paramedic, who in turn are more often right as a medical technician), as well as the job experience (dispatchers, who are themselves working on an emergency physician manned ambulance are right more often than those who are working on a basic live support ambulance). However, in our opinion the difference is low with a maximum value of 77.5% correct decisions, and a minimum of 74.2%. A difference between full-time and volunteer personnel does not seem to exist, as well as there seems to be no relation between the fraction of correct decisions and the number of emergency operations dispatched. On the other hand, there is a significant improvement in the quality of decisions in the first five years of the dispatching center activity. Compared with other personal in the emergency medical rescue service, emergency dispatchers are an average better trained and have more experience on emergency physician manned ambulances. The prescribed period of two years experience in emergency services before becoming a dispatcher is significantly exceeded, with a median of 5.3 years. Although the differences in the quality of deciding, if a emergency physician is needed on site, between various categories of dispatchers are small, we assume that a medical emergency dispatching center can only benefit from employees who are highly qualified and bring adequate experience in the emergency medical rescue service.