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BACKGROUND: Accessing the emergency medical services system via 9-1-1 operators is an effective way for patients to seek urgent health care; however, technological advances and telecommunication practices inundate the 9-1-1 and emergency services infrastructure with unintentional calls that delay response efforts to legitimate medical emergencies. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the change in university-wide dial-out prefix from "9" to "7" reduced unnecessary calls to a 9-1-1 call center. METHODS: This is a retrospective study conducted utilizing information obtained from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) Department of Public Safety (DPS) call center. Call center calls received during pre-change, intervening, and post-change periods were included in the study. The cost savings, defined in time and money, resulting from the prefix change were also examined. RESULTS: A total of 33,646 calls were made during the study period (January 11, 2010 through December 31, 2012) and included in the analysis. The prefix change was found to reduce the rate of invalid calls to the call center by 319 calls per month, resulting in a 43% reduction in total calls to the call center while preserving the rate of valid calls. The largest decrease occurred in hang-up calls (a decrease of 232 calls per month), especially those originating from the university. The prefix change was found to save the UNC DPS telecommunications division approximately $798.82 per month and the police officer division approximately $3,874.95 per month. CONCLUSION: A prefix change was not only beneficial to the UNC community but it also has potentially wide-reaching effects. A reduction of invalid 9-1-1 calls translates to telecommunicators having more time available to handle true emergencies, phone lines remaining available for true emergencies, and police officers dedicating more time and effort to matters that necessitate officer assistance. Based on the call decrease seen with the prefix change, this study may be used as evidence to advocate for a change of dial-out codes beginning with "9."
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Sistemas de Comunicación entre Servicios de Urgencia , Líneas Directas/organización & administración , Universidades , Urgencias Médicas , Servicios Médicos de Urgencia , Femenino , Líneas Directas/estadística & datos numéricos , Humanos , Policia , Estudios Retrospectivos , TelecomunicacionesRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Timely triage and appropriate destination decision making for injured patients are central challenges faced by emergency medical services (EMS) systems. In 2010, North Carolina (NC) adopted a statewide Trauma Triage and Destination Plan (TTDP) based on the CDC's Field Triage Guidelines to better address these challenges. We sought to characterize the implementation of these guidelines by quantifying their effect on multiple metrics of patient care. METHODS: We employed a retrospective pre-post study design utilizing a statewide EMS medical record database. We assessed several metrics of patient care-including changes in destination choice, appropriateness of EMS destination, transit time to first hospital, transit time to definitive care, and others-in a six-month period in the year before and after the implementation of the guidelines. RESULTS: We evaluated a total of 190,307 EMS encounters pre- (n = 93,927) and post-implementation (n = 96,380). Among all patients, there was not a significant difference in the percentage transported to a community hospital or Level I, II, or III trauma center as their first destination. Among those patients meeting TTDP guidelines for transport to a trauma center, the number transported to a Level I or II trauma center decreased 1.0% from 30.6% (n = 2,911) to 29.6% (n = 2,954) (95% CI: -0.2%, 2.2%). Those transported to a Level I trauma center decreased 0.4% from 21.2% to 20.8% in the post-period (95% CI: -0.7%, 1.5%). There were also no significant changes in EMS scene times (14.0 pre-, 14.1 post-) and transport times (12.9 pre-, 13.0 post-). While scene distance from a Level I trauma center showed a decreased likelihood of transport to that center, there was an overall post-implementation increase of 2.5% from 18.0% to 20.5% (95% CI: -3.6%, -1.3%) in transport to a Level I trauma center among patients meeting anatomic criteria across all distance ranges. CONCLUSIONS: We found that implementation of region-specific destination plans based on the Field Triage Guidelines had little effect on selected hospital destination, scene times, transport times, and other metrics of EMS decision making and effectiveness. We suspect this is due to delays in information dissemination and adoption by field providers.
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Adhesión a Directriz/estadística & datos numéricos , Atención al Paciente/estadística & datos numéricos , Triaje/normas , Heridas y Lesiones/terapia , Adolescente , Adulto , Anciano , Niño , Bases de Datos Factuales , Toma de Decisiones , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , North Carolina , Evaluación de Resultado en la Atención de Salud , Atención al Paciente/métodos , Estudios Retrospectivos , Tiempo de Tratamiento/estadística & datos numéricos , Transporte de Pacientes/estadística & datos numéricos , Centros Traumatológicos , Triaje/estadística & datos numéricos , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
Abstract Objective. Planning for time-sensitive injury may allow emergency medical services (EMS) systems to more accurately triage patients meeting accepted criteria to facilities most capable of providing life-saving treatment. In 2010, North Carolina (NC) implemented statewide Trauma Triage and Destination Plans (TTDPs) in all 100 of North Carolina's county-defined EMS systems. Each system was responsible for identifying the specific destination hospitals with appropriate resources to treat trauma patients. We sought to characterize the accuracy of their hospital designations. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, we collected TTDPs for each county-defined EMS system, including their assigned hospital capabilities (i.e., trauma center or community hospital). We conducted a survey with each EMS system to determine how their TTDP was constructed and maintained, as well as with each TTDP-designated hospital to verify their capabilities. We determined the accuracy of the EMS assigned hospital designations by comparing them to the hospital's reported capabilities. Results. The 100 NC EMS systems provided 380 designations for 112 hospitals. TTDPs were created by EMS administrators and medical directors, with only 55% of EMS systems engaging a hospital representative in the plan creation. Compared to the actual hospital capabilities, 97% of the EMS TTDP designations were correct. Twelve hospital designations were incorrect and the majority (10) overestimated hospital capabilities. Of the 100 EMS systems, 7 misclassified hospitals in their TTDP. EMS systems that did not verify their local hospitals' capabilities during TTDP development were more likely to incorrectly categorize a hospital's capabilities (p = 0.001). Conclusions. A small number of EMS systems misclassified hospitals in their TTDP, but most plans accurately reflected hospital capabilities. Misclassification occurred more often in systems that did not consult local hospitals prior to developing their TTDP. The potential of the TTDP to improve communication between EMS agencies and the facilities with which they work has not been fully realized. EMS agencies or systems should verify local hospital capabilities when engaging in destination planning efforts.
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INTRODUCTION: In January of 2010, North Carolina (NC) USA implemented state-wide Trauma Triage Destination Plans (TTDPs) to provide standardized guidelines for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) decision making. No study exists to evaluate whether triage behavior has changed for geriatric trauma patients. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM: The impact of the NC TTDPs was investigated on EMS triage of geriatric trauma patients meeting physiologic criteria of serious injury, primarily based on whether these patients were transported to a trauma center. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of geriatric trauma patients transported by EMS from March 1, 2009 through September 30, 2009 (pre-TTDP) and March 1, 2010 through September 30, 2010 (post-TTDP) meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) age 50 years or older; (2) transported to a hospital by NC EMS; (3) experienced an injury; and (4) meeting one or more of the NC TTDP's physiologic criteria for trauma (n = 5,345). Data were obtained from the Prehospital Medical Information System (PreMIS). Data collected included proportions of patients transported to a trauma center categorized by specific physiologic criteria, age category, and distance from a trauma center. RESULTS: The proportion of patients transported to a trauma center pre-TTDP (24.4% [95% CI 22.7%-26.1%]; n = 604) was similar to the proportion post-TTDP (24.4% [95% CI 22.9%-26.0%]; n = 700). For patients meeting specific physiologic triage criteria, the proportions of patients transported to a trauma center were also similar pre- and post-TTDP: systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg (22.5% versus 23.5%); respiratory rate <10 or >29 (23.2% versus 22.6%); and Glascow Coma Scale (GCS) score <13 (26.0% versus 26.4%). Patients aged 80 years or older were less likely to be transported to a trauma center than younger patients in both the pre- and post-TTDP periods. CONCLUSIONS: State-wide implementation of a TTDP had no discernible effect on the proportion of patients 50 years and older transported to a trauma center. Under-triage remained common and became increasingly prevalent among the oldest adults. Research to understand the uptake of guidelines and protocols into EMS practice is critical to improving care for older adults in the prehospital environment.
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Puntaje de Gravedad del Traumatismo , Evaluación de Procesos y Resultados en Atención de Salud , Triaje/normas , Heridas y Lesiones/diagnóstico , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Estudios de Cohortes , Servicios Médicos de Urgencia , Femenino , Evaluación Geriátrica , Servicios de Salud para Ancianos , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , North Carolina , Estudios Retrospectivos , Heridas y Lesiones/terapiaRESUMEN
STUDY OBJECTIVE: Health literacy influences a patient's ability to read and understand labels on medicine containers, appointment slips, informed-consent documents and medical instructions--all of which are considered basic health documents that a patient encounters in healthcare settings. Previous research suggests Spanish-speaking patients have low levels of health literacy. This study compares the functional health literacy (FHL) of Spanish- and English-speaking adult patients in a suburban emergency department (ED). METHODS: Through a prospective, matched cohort design, Spanish-speaking adult patients and pediatric guardians presenting to the ED were matched with English-speaking patients by age, gender and treatment area. Demographic information, including total years of school completed and self-assessed reading ability, was collected. The Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA) was administered in the subject's primary language. A score of <60 indicated inadequate FHL, 60-74 marginally adequate FHL, and >74 adequate literacy. RESULTS: Eighty-six matched pairs were enrolled. The median age was 30.5 years, and 56% were male. Spanish speakers averaged a TOFHLA score of 59.72, and English speakers 90.78. Only 7% of English speakers had less-than-adequate FHL compared to 74% of Spanish speakers. The average years of school completed were 10.59 (7.95 Spanish; 13.19 English), and 55% of English speakers reported "excellent" reading ability compared to 13% of Spanish speakers. Last grade completed (p=0.004) and self-assessed reading ability (p=0.0007) are predictors of TOFHLA scores. Those subjects who completed less than the eighth grade had inadequate FHL. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of Spanish-speaking subjects have less-than-adequate FHL. Self-reported reading ability and years of school completed appear to predict FHL and may be clinically useful. Due to the disproportionately low level of health literacy among Spanish-speaking patients demonstrated in this and previous studies, future efforts should focus on developing programs that improve health literacy by providing this population with oral translations and pictorial and video instructions.