Emergency medical dispatch technologies: Addressing communication challenges and coordinating emergency response in low and middle-income countries.

A majority of emergency response in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) without formal emergency medical services (EMS) rely on uncoordinated layperson first responders (LFRs) to respond to emergencies using readily available mobile phones and private transport. Although formally trained LFRs are an important foundation for nascent emergency medical services (EMS) development, without coordination by standardized emergency medical dispatch (EMD) systems, LFR response is limited to witnessed emergencies, which provides significant but incomplete coverage. After training and equipping LFRs, EMD implementation using telecommunications technologies is the next step in formal EMS development and is essential to coordinate response, given the impact of timely prehospital response, intervention, and transportation on reducing morbidity/mortality. In this paper, we describe the current state of dispatch technologies used for emergency response in LMICs, focusing on the role of communication technologies, current approaches, and challenges in communication, and offer potential strategies for future development.

Smartphone application alerts for early trauma team activation: Millennial technology in healthcare.

BACKGROUND: Data access through smartphone applications (apps) has reframed procedure and policy in healthcare, but its impact in trauma remains unclear. Citizen is a free app that provides real-time alerts curated from 911 dispatch data. Our primary objective was to determine whether app alerts occurred earlier than recorded times for trauma team activation and emergency department arrival. METHODS: Trauma registry entries were extracted from a level one urban trauma center from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019 and compared with app metadata from the center catchment area. We matched entries to metadata according to description, date, time, and location then compared metadata timestamps to trauma team activation and emergency department arrival times. We computed percentage of time the app reported traumatic events earlier than trauma team activation or emergency department arrival along with exact binomial 95% confidence interval; median differences between times were presented along with interquartile ranges. RESULTS: Of 3,684 trauma registry entries, 209 (5.7%) matched app metadata. App alerts were earlier for 96.1% and 96.2% of trauma team activation and emergency department arrival times, respectively, with events reported median 36 (24-53, IQR) minutes earlier than trauma team activation and 32 (25-42, IQR) minutes earlier than emergency department arrival. Registry entries for younger males, motor vehicle-related injuries and penetrating traumas were more likely to match alerts (P < .0001). CONCLUSION: Apps like Citizen may provide earlier notification of traumatic events and therefore earlier mobilization of trauma service resources. Earlier notification may translate into improved patient outcomes. Additional studies into the benefit of apps for trauma care are warranted.

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

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.

[Measures to contain gender-based violence during the COVID-19 pandemic]. / Medidas de contención de la violencia de género durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

Crises, emergencies and times of unrest have been linked to increased interpersonal violence, including violence against women. Following the declaration of alarm status and quarantine, different measures have been implemented to mitigate the possible effect of gender violence (Contingency Plan against Gender-Based Violence in Coronavirus Crisis or Royal Decree Law on Emergency Measures). This document reviews the measures adopted so far by the government of Spain, the autonomous governments and the initiatives formulated in different countries. In the absence of concrete economic measures to date, and the scenario of economic uncertainty, we conclude that it is not possible to prevent gender-based violence in a comprehensive way, without considering the increase in unemployment, temporary and instability employment, economic dependency or the overload of household chores and reproductive tasks, among other elements that facilitate it.

Impact of two-level filtering on emergency medical communication center triage during the COVID-19 pandemic: an uncontrolled before-after study.

BACKGROUND: Rapid access to emergency medical communication centers (EMCCs) is pivotal to address potentially life-threatening conditions. Maintaining public access to EMCCs without delay is crucial in case of disease outbreak despite the significant increased activity and the difficulties to mobilize extra staff resources. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of two-level filtering on EMCC performance during the COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: A before-after monocentric prospective study was conducted at the EMCC at the Nantes University Hospital. Using telephone activity data, we compared EMCC performance during 2 periods. In period one (February 27th to March 11th 2020), call takers managed calls as usual, gathering basic information from the caller and giving first aid instructions to a bystander on scene if needed. During period two (March 12th to March 25th 2020), calls were answered by a first-line call taker to identify potentially serious conditions that required immediate dispatch. When a serious condition was excluded, the call was immediately transferred to a second-line call taker who managed the call as usual so the first-line call taker could be rapidly available for other incoming calls. The primary outcome was the quality of service at 20 s (QS20), corresponding to the rate of calls answered within 20 s. We described activity and outcome measures by hourly range. We compared EMCC performance during periods one and two using an interrupted time series analysis. RESULTS: We analyzed 45,451 incoming calls during the two study periods: 21,435 during period 1 and 24,016 during period 2. Between the two study periods, we observed a significant increase in the number of incoming calls per hour, the number of connected call takers and average call duration. A linear regression model, adjusted for these confounding variables, showed a significant increase in the QS20 slope (from - 0.4 to 1.4%, p = 0.01), highlighting the significant impact of two-level filtering on the quality of service. CONCLUSIONS: We found that rapid access to our EMCC was maintained during the COVID-19 pandemic via two-level filtering. This system helped reduce the time gap between call placement and first-line call-taker evaluation of a potentially life-threatening situation. We suggest implementing this system when an EMCC faces significantly increased activity with limited staff resources.

Performance of a new guideline for telephone triage in out-of-hours services in Belgium: A pilot study using simulated patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients in Belgium needing out-of-hours care have two options: the emergency department or the general practitioner on call often organised in a general practitioner cooperative. Currently, there is no triage system in Belgium so patients do not know where to go. METHODS: Our primary objective was to examine the ability of a newly developed telephone guideline, called 1733, to adequately estimate the urgency of health problems presented by simulated patients. Ten clinical vignettes were presented to 12 operators in a simulated phone call. The operators had to assign a protocol, urgency level and resource to dispatch (ambulance, general practitioner house visit, etc.) to each case. RESULTS: A total of 120 phone calls were analysed. The operators chose the right protocol in 69% and the correct urgency level in 35% of the cases. The proportion of under- and over-triage was 26% and 39%, respectively. There was important variation in between the operators. The sensitivity for detecting highly urgent cases was 0.42, the specificity 0.92. CONCLUSION: Using the new Belgian 1733 guideline for telephone triage, operators mostly chose the appropriate protocol but only chose the correct urgency in one out of three cases. In this phase of development, the studied telephone guideline is not ready for implementation.

Information Overload: A Method to Share Updates among Frontline Staff during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Since COVID-19 was classified as a pandemic, the stream of important information from multiple sources is constant and always changing. As the pandemic evolves, the need to report relevant information to frontline providers remains crucial. A 1-page centralized document termed a "quicksheet" was developed to include guidelines, policies, and practical information and to serve as a reference tool for our clinicians. It was updated and distributed frequently, up to once daily. It was initially embraced as an important resource for resident physicians and then quickly adopted by the entire department as a necessary reference and communication tool during the ongoing crisis. The quicksheet has been a beneficial tool to distill and organize the most important and relevant information for frontline staff, and we hope that it can serve as a template for departments and health care workers in other hospital systems to adopt.

Spontaneous trigger words associated with confirmed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a descriptive pilot study of emergency calls.

BACKGROUND: According to the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), the trigger words used by callers that are associated with cardiac arrest constitute a scientific knowledge gap. This study was designed to find hypothetical trigger words in emergency calls in order to improve the specificity of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest recognition. METHODS: In this descriptive pilot study conducted in a Finnish hospital district, linguistic contents of 80 emergency calls of dispatcher-suspected or EMS-encountered out-of-hospital cardiac arrests between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2017 were analysed. Spontaneous trigger words used by callers were transcribed and grouped into 36 categories. The association between the spontaneous trigger words and confirmed true cardiac arrests was tested with logistic regression. RESULTS: Of the suspected cardiac arrests, 51 (64%) were confirmed as true cardiac arrests when ambulance personnel met the patient. A total of 291 spontaneous trigger words were analysed. 'Is not breathing' (n = 9 [18%] in the true cardiac arrest group vs n = 1 [3%] in the non-cardiac arrest group, odds ratio [OR] 6.00, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.72-50.0), 'the patient is blue' (n = 9 [18%] vs n = 1 [3%], OR 6.00, 95% CI 0.72-50.0), 'collapsed or fallen down' (n = 12 [24%] vs n = 2 [7%], OR 4.15, 95% CI 0.86-20.1) and 'is wheezing' (n = 17 [33%] vs n = 5 [17%], OR 2.40, 95% CI 0.78-7.40) were frequently used to describe true cardiac arrest. 'Is snoring' was associated with a false suspicion of cardiac arrest (n = 1 [2%] vs n = 6 [21%], OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.009-0.67). CONCLUSIONS: In our pilot study, no trigger word was associated with confirmed cardiac arrest. 'Is wheezing' was a frequently used spontaneous trigger word among later confirmed cardiac arrest victims.

Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation: Differential effects of landline, Mobile, and transferred calls.

BACKGROUND: Dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) could improve the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). However, the efficiency of DACPR varies. Our study compared the effectiveness of DACPR instructed via landline calls, mobile calls, and landline calls transferred to mobiles. METHOD: This prospective cohort study enrolled patients with OHCA between 1 July 2017 and 30 November 2018 in Taichung. Patients were divided into a mobile group and a landline group according to device used to call emergency medical services (EMS). The landline group was subdivided according to whether the call was transferred to a mobile. We compared the DACPR rate and call to chest compression time between groups. RESULTS: The study comprised 2404 cases after exclusion: 934 cases of DACPR via mobile and 1470 via landline. In the mobile group, DACPR rate (54% vs. 47.5%, P <  0.001) was higher and call to chest compression time (median: 156 s vs. 174 s P < 0.001) was shorter than in the landline group. In the transferred group, DACPR rate (72.7% vs. 28.8%, P <  0.001) was higher than in the non-transferred group, but no difference was observed in call to chest compression time (median: 173 s vs. 177 s, P = 0.69). CONCLUSION: According to this city-based prospective clinical study, communication over mobiles resulted in higher DACPR rate and shorter call to chest compression time than that over landlines. Transferring calls from a landline to a mobile could increase the DACPR rate without delaying the initiation of chest compression.

Improving emergency call detection of Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests in the Greater Paris area: Efficiency of a global system with a new method of detection.

AIM: The detection of cardiac arrests by dispatchers allows telephone-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (t-CPR) and improves Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) survival. To enhance the OHCA detection rate, in 2012, the Paris Fire Brigade dispatch center created an original technique called "Hand On Belly" (HoB). The new algorithm that resulted has become a central point in a broader program for dispatch-assisted cardiac arrests. METHODS: This is a repeated cross-sectional study with retrospective data of four 15-day call samples recorded from 2012 to 2018. We included all calls from OHCAs cared for by Basic Life Support (BLS) teams and excluded calls where the dispatcher was not in contact directly with a witness. The primary endpoint was the successful detection of an OHCA by the dispatcher; the secondary endpoints were successful t-CPR and measurements of the different time intervals related to the call. Logistic regressions were performed to assess parameters associated with detecting OHCAs and initiating t-CPR. RESULTS: From 2012 to 2018, among the detectable OCHAs, the proportion correctly identified increased from 54% to 93%; the rate of t-CPRs from 51% to 84%. OHCA detection and t-CPR initiation were both associated with HoB breathing assessments (adjustedOR: 89, 95%CI: 31-299, and adjustedOR: 11.2, 95%CI: 1.4-149, respectively). Over the study period, the times to answering calls and the time to sending BLS teams were shorter than those recommended by international guidelines; however, the times to OHCA recognition and starting t-CPR delivery were longer. CONCLUSIONS: The HoB effectively facilitated OHCA detection in our system, which has achieved very high performance levels.

Telemedical assistance at sea in the time of COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the aetiological factor of COVID-19 infection, poses problems in providing medical assistance at sea. Ships are in an isolated environment, and most of the merchant ships do not carry medical personnel or medical supplies. Telemedicine offers a real possibility to provide reasonable quality medical assistance to seagoing vessels. The fact that ships may touch ports in affected areas, the difficulties for seafarers to be assisted ashore due to quarantine measures and the crews' lack of turnover make medical assistance at sea difficult. This study has compared maritime telemedical assistance data before and during the COVID-19 pandemic to propose prevention measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was based on the data from medical records of Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (C.I.R.M.) database of seafarers assisted from January 1 to June 30, in the years 2017-2020. The data were collected separately for each year. Age, sex, rank, and pathologies affecting the assisted seafarers were considered. Common signs of COVID-19 infection such as fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, and other respiratory symptoms were analysed. RESULTS: From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019, C.I.R.M. assisted 15,888 patients on board ships. During the first 6 months of the years under evaluation, C.I.R.M. assisted 2,419 patients in 2017, 2,444 patients in 2018, 2,694 patients in 2019, and 3,924 in 2020. The number of assisted cases almost doubled in the first 6 months (from January to June) of 2020 compared to the same period of the previous years. Gastrointestinal disorders, injuries/traumas, and dermatological pathologies were the first, second, and third most often reported causes of illness on board over the 4-year study period. A higher number of seafarers with fever, cough, sore throat, and shortness of breath were assisted during the COVID-19 pandemic than before the coronavirus outbreak. Medical requests for fever increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the same period from 2017 to 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The requests for medical advice for fever, sore throat, and shortness of breath were significantly more common during the coronavirus epidemic. Close follow-up, regular health education on preventing coronavirus transmission, personal protective equipment, adequate environmental hygiene, and applying other standard precautions could help minimise the risk factors for the spread of COVID-19.

Satisfaction of 30 402 callers to a medical helpline of the Emergency Medical Services Copenhagen: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To keep healthcare systems sustainable for future demands, many countries are developing a centralised telephone line for out-of-hours primary care services. To increase the quality of such services, more information is needed on factors that influence caller satisfaction. The aim of this study was to identify demographic and call-related characteristics that are associated with the patient satisfaction of callers to a medical helpline in Denmark. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study on patient registry data and questionnaire results. SETTING: Non-emergency medical helpline in the Capital Region of Denmark. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample of 30 402 callers to the medical helpline between May 2016 and May 2018. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Responses of a satisfaction questionnaire were linked to demographic and call-related dispatch data. Associations between the characteristics were analysed with multivariable logistic regression analysis with satisfaction as the dependent variable. A subgroup analysis was performed on callers for children aged between 0 and 4 years. RESULTS: Of the 30 402 analysed callers, 73.0% were satisfied with the medical helpline. Satisfaction was associated with calling for a somatic injury (OR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.72 to 2.23), receiving a face-to-face consultation (OR: 2.27, 95% CI: 2.04 to 2.50) and a waiting time less than 10 min (OR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.56 to 2.08). Callers for a 0-year to 4-year-old patient were more likely to be satisfied when they called for a somatic illness or received a telephone consultation, compared with the rest of the population (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: Callers were in general satisfied with the medical helpline. Satisfaction was associated with reason for encounter, triage response and waiting time. People calling for 0-year to 4-year-old patients were, compared with the rest of the population, more frequently satisfied when they called for a somatic illness or received a telephone consultation.

Exploring individual and work organizational peculiarities of working in emergency medical communication centers in Norway- a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical call-takers working in Emergency Medical Communication Centers (EMCCs) are addressing complex and potentially life threatening problems. The call-takers have to make fast decisions, responding to problems described in phone calls. Recent studies focus mainly on individual aspects of call-takers' work. The objectives of this study were to explore 1) What characterizes individual work performance of call takers in EMCCs? and 2) What characterizes work organizational factors call takers see as most relevant to the performance of their work? METHODS: The research is based upon in-depth interviews with call takers at three EMCCs in Norway (n = 19). Interviews were performed during the period May 2013 to September 2014. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Two main themes that related to individual work performance and to work organizational factors in EMCCs were identified, namely: 1) "Core technologies" and 2) "Environmental issues" . The theme "Core technologies" included the subthemes a) multiple tasks, b) critical incidents, and c) unpredictability. The theme "Environmental issues" included the subthemes a) lack of support, b) lack of resources, c) exposure to complaints, and d) an invisible service. CONCLUSION: At the individual level, multiple tasks, how to cope with critical incidents, and the unpredictability of daily work when calls are received, make the work of call takers both stressful and challenging. The individual call taker's ability to interprete the situation by intuition and experience when calls are received, is the main factor behind the peculiarities working in the centers at the individual level. At the organizational level, the lack of resources and managerial support seems to provoke concerns about the quality of services rendered by the centers. These aspects should be taken into account in the managing of these services, making them a more integrated part of the health service system.

Crash Telemetry-Based Injury Severity Prediction is Equivalent to or Out-Performs Field Protocols in Triage of Planar Vehicle Collisions.

INTRODUCTION: With the increasing availability of vehicle telemetry technology, there is great potential for Advanced Automatic Collision Notification (AACN) systems to improve trauma outcomes by detecting patients at-risk for severe injury and facilitating early transport to trauma centers. METHODS: National Automotive Sampling System Crashworthiness Data System (NASS-CDS) data from 1999-2013 were used to construct a logistic regression model (injury severity prediction [ISP] model) predicting the probability that one or more occupants in planar, non-rollover motor vehicle collisions (MVCs) would have Injury Severity Score (ISS) 15+ injuries. Variables included principal direction of force (PDOF), change in velocity (Delta-V), multiple impacts, presence of any older occupant (≥55 years old), presence of any female occupant, presence of right-sided passenger, belt use, and vehicle type. The model was validated using medical records and 2008-2011 crash data from AACN-enabled Michigan (USA) vehicles identified from OnStar (OnStar Corporation; General Motors; Detroit, Michigan USA) records. To compare the ISP to previously established protocols, a literature search was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of first responder identification of ISS 15+ for MVC occupants. RESULTS: The study population included 924 occupants in 836 crash events. The ISP model had a sensitivity of 72.7% (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 41%-91%) and specificity of 93% (95% CI 92%-95%) for identifying ISS 15+ occupants injured in planar MVCs. The current standard 2006 Field Triage Decision Scheme (FTDS) was 56%-66% sensitive and 75%-88% specific in identifying ISS 15+ patients. CONCLUSIONS: The ISP algorithm comparably is more sensitive and more specific than current field triage in identifying MVC patients at-risk for ISS 15+ injuries. This real-world field study shows telemetry data transmitted before dispatch of emergency medical systems can be helpful to quickly identify patients who require urgent transfer to trauma centers.

Live video footage from scene to aid helicopter emergency medical service dispatch: a feasibility study.

BACKGROUND: Obtaining accurate information from a 112 caller is key to correct tasking of Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS). Being able to view the incident scene via video from a mobile phone may assist HEMS dispatch by providing more accurate information such as mechanism of injury and/or injuries sustained. The objective of this study is to describe the acceptability and feasibility of using live video footage from the mobile phone of a 112 caller as an HEMS dispatch aid. METHODS: Live footage is obtained via the 112 caller's mobile phone camera through the secure GoodSAM app's Instant-on-scene™ platform. Video footage is streamed directly to the dispatcher, and not stored. During the feasibility trial period, dispatchers noted the purpose for which they used the footage and rated ease of use and any technical- and operational issues they encountered. A subjective assessment of caller acceptance to use video was conducted. RESULTS: Video footage from scene was attempted for 21 emergency calls. The leading reasons listed by the dispatchers to use live footage were to directly assess the patient (18/21) and to obtain information about the mechanism of injury and the scene (11/21). HEMS dispatchers rated the ease of use with a 4.95 on a 5-point scale (range 4-5). All callers gave permission to stream from their telephone camera. Video footage from scene was successfully obtained in 19 calls, and was used by the dispatcher as an aid to send (5) or stand down (14) a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services team. CONCLUSION: Live video footage from a 112 caller can be used to provide dispatchers with more information from the scene of an incident and the clinical condition of the patient(s). The use of mobile phone video was readily accepted by the 112 caller and the technology robust. Further research is warranted to assess the impact video from scene could have on HEMS dispatching.

[Degree of implementation of structured answering of emergency calls in German emergency dispatch centers and effects of the introduction in daily practice]. / Implementierungsgrad der strukturierten Notrufabfrage in deutschen Leitstellen und Auswirkungen ihrer Einführung.

BACKGROUND: The emergency call-taking process is crucial for the adequate disposition of emergency vehicles and the provision of first aid instructions. Moreover, it has a direct impact on the quality of out-of-hospital emergency care. Organizations such as the European Resuscitation Council, the German Federal Association of Emergency Medical Directors and the German Association of Emergency Dispatch Centers call for the nationwide implementation of a formal call-taking process in emergency dispatching. This is required for the provision of telephone-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation (T-CPR). METHODS: This article presents the results of an online survey among members of the German Association of Emergency Dispatch Centers on the implementation of structured call-taking programs. The survey comprised data on the implementation of a structured call-taking process, its effects on important quality indicators such as the frequency of T­CPR and employee satisfaction. RESULTS: Of the 100 participants who completed the survey, 49 already used formal call-taking systems and 24 (47%) of the remaining 51 emergency dispatch centers intended to implement such a system. Formal call-taking systems were mainly used in the dispatch of emergency medical services (98% of emergency dispatch centers using a formal call-taking system) and fire brigades (83.7% of emergency dispatch centers using a formal call-taking system). In 42 (85.7%) of the 49 emergency dispatch centers using a formal call-taking process, this process is mandatory; however, only 27 (64.3%) reported compliance rates of more than 95% in medical emergencies. Comparing the pre-post results after the introduction of a structured approach, the quality of the inquiries improved for almost all emergency dispatch centers. On the other hand, important quality indicators, e.g. mean dispatch initiation time or the necessity of subsequently alerting an advanced life support unit to the scene, were not recorded in 42.9% and 49.0% of the dispatch centers, respectively. Of the emergency dispatch centers that analyzed the frequency of T­CPR, 94.3% could show an increase in T­CPR. Moreover, 79.5% of the respondents reported improved employee satisfaction. Whereas the demand for dispatchers remained nearly static, 24 out of the 49 dispatch centers that used a formal call-taking system set up new posts for quality management (maximum: 3 posts in dispatch centers handling more than 250,000 missions annually). CONCLUSION: Structured emergency call-taking has not yet been comprehensively implemented in German emergency dispatch centers. Wherever it is used consistently, important quality parameters are improved. Further investigations should aim to identify crucial factors for its implementation and to analyze additional quality parameters.

Connect dispatch centers for call handling improves performance.

The aim of this Letter to the Editor was to report a strategy to reduce time waiting for emergency calls in a dispatch center, in line with a recently published article that reviewed evidence for medical dispatching systems to accurately dispatch Emergency medical Services. Here, we tested the effect of a connected distribution of calls, where a call is allocated to the first available resource among a pooled group of telecommunicators from several dispatch centers. We found that connect dispatch centers improve dispatch center performance, especially during an overloaded period. It could be leveraged to handle emergency calls without delay and to appropriately dispatch Emergency Medical Services.