Priority Identifying System for Emergency Ambulance Calls

Abstract

 【Aims】 To assess the Priority Identifying System for Emergency Ambulance Calls. 【Methods】 The priority identifying results by call takers for emergency ambulance calls were compared to the Doctors' diagnosis. 【Results】 In 27 months 260,854 emergency ambulance calls were categorized to A+ (n=17,004), A (n=74,535), B (n=100,335), C+ (n=49,529), C (n=19,451). Doctors' diagnosis were dead cases (n=2,731), very serious cases (n=7,892), serious cases (n=14,547), moderate cases (n=86,327), mild cases (n=149,357). The rate of undertriage about life-threatening conditions was 3.0%. The overtriage rate was 71.1%. Revised algorithm brought the overtriage rate 11.8% down and the undertriage rate 1.8% up. 【Discussions】 The propriety of the algorithm could be improved by revising. Despite the progress of call takers in catching points from emergency calls, it was difficult to find out the deterioration after a caller hangs up and detect the shock condition of callers. It was not enough to use the information caught by call takers at the scene of emergency and in emergency rooms. 【Conclusions】 It is necessary to more improve the algorithm and the call taking skills for better emergency services.