Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Mar 9;29(1):45.
doi: 10.1186/s13049-021-00860-y.

Medical dispatchers' perception of the interaction with the caller during emergency calls - a qualitative study

Thea Palsgaard Møller  1 , Hejdi Gamst Jensen  2   3 , Søren Viereck  2 , Freddy Lippert  2 , Doris Østergaaard  4
Affiliations

Medical dispatchers' perception of the interaction with the caller during emergency calls - a qualitative study

Thea Palsgaard Møller et al. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Background: Medical dispatching is a highly complex procedure and has an impact upon patient outcome. It includes call-taking and triage, prioritization of resources and the provision of guidance and instructions to callers. Whilst emergency medical dispatchers play a key role in the process, their perception of the process is rarely reported. We explored medical dispatchers' perception of the interaction with the caller during emergency calls. Secondly, we aimed to develop a model for emergency call handling based on these findings.

Methods: To provide an in-depth understanding of the dispatching process, an explorative qualitative interview study was designed. A grounded theory design and thematic analysis were applied.

Results: A total of 5 paramedics and 6 registered nurses were interviewed. The emerging themes derived from dispatchers' perception of the emergency call process were related to both the callers and the medical dispatchers themselves, from which four and three themes were identified, respectively. Dispatchers reported that for callers, the motive for calling, the situation, the perception and presentation of the problem was influencing factors. For the dispatchers the expertise, teamwork and organization influenced the process. Based on the medical dispatchers´ perception, a model of the workflow and interaction between the caller and the dispatcher was developed based on themes related to the caller and the dispatcher.

Conclusions: According to medical dispatchers, the callers seem to lack knowledge about best utilization of the emergency number and the medical dispatching process, which can be improved by public awareness campaigns and incorporating information into first aid courses. For medical dispatchers the most potent modifiable factors were based upon the continuous professional development of the medical dispatchers and the system that supports them. The model of call handling underlines the complexity of medical dispatching that embraces the context of the call beyond clinical presentation of the problem.

Keywords: Emergency call handling; Emergency medical services; Medical dispatch; Triage.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

TPM, HGJ, SV, and DO reports no conflicts of interest. FL has received unrestricted research grants from the Laerdal Foundation and from the Danish foundation TrygFonden. The research center at the Copenhagen EMS receives an unrestricted research grant from the Laerdal Foundation.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Model of emergency call handling perceived by and within the context of the emergency medical dispatcher
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lewis M, Stubbs BA, Eisenberg MS. Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation: time to identify cardiac arrest and deliver chest compression instructions. Circulation. 2013;128:1522–1530. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.002627. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Berdowski J, Beekhuis F, Zwinderman AH, et al. Importance of the first link: description and recognition of an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in an emergency call. Circulation. 2009;119:2096–2102. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.768325. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hettinger AZ, Cushman JT, Shah MN, et al. Emergency medical dispatch codes association with emergency department outcomes. J Natl Assoc EMS Physicians Natl Assoc State EMS Dir. 2013:29–37. - PubMed
    1. Monsieurs KG, Nolan JP, Bossaert LL, et al. European resuscitation council guidelines for resuscitation 2015: section 1. Executive summary. Resuscitation. 2015;95:1–80. doi: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2015.07.038. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Resuscitation Academy. http://www.resuscitationacademy.org/. Accessed 21 Jan 2020.