Urgent emergency issue in Poland.

The paper refers to the problem of emergency medical service in Poland, which is the only European Union Member State not having activated the emergency phone number 112. This fact has caused the threat of European Union sanctions. In this context, we try to discuss the chances of finalizing reform of the dramatically inefficient Polish emergency services. Except for the lack of the integrated emergency call centres, there is no appropriate network of emergency hospital departments in Poland and no clear regulations concerning emergency professions. The necessary law was enacted in 2001, but it did not come into force. The threat of European Union sanctions may hasten its implementation; however, the weak position of the present government may cause a further delay of the reform.

Legal considerations in prehospital care.

This article presents an overview of several major legal issues in contemporary prehospital health care delivery and emergency medical services. It includes review and analysis of medical-legal issues in medical control; patient consent and treatment; modern emergency medical services communications; discussion of medical-legal concerns in regard to patient destination choice, diversion, and transfer; and an analysis of theories of recovery including a review of selected case histories.

Advantages and limitations of medical dispatching: the French view.

One of the main features of the French emergency medical services (EMS) system as it has been developed during the last 40 years is the participation of a physician in each stage of the EMS organization. Thus, in the 100 French emergency medical dispatch centres, all calls received on 15, the national medical emergency phone number, are medically dispatched. The main advantages are: (i) better security for the caller; (ii) proper adaptation of the response to the emergency; (iii) a quicker and more efficient intervention time; (iv) the hospital is informed of the arrival of an emergency; (v) the respect of medical secrecy; (vi) a good cost-efficiency ratio in the use of intervention means. The main limitations are connected with: (i) the inaccuracy of certain calls and problems of dialogue with the caller; (ii) the poor acceptance of the system's obligations by some of the callers, patients, physicians or any other partners of the EMS organization. In the future the implementation of the multi-purpose European emergency number 112 will probably require the system's adaptation to it.

Case law involving base-station contact.

INTRODUCTION: Although general discussion of legal claims against emergency medical services (EMS) have been published, there is no literature that examines legal claims that specifically have involved base-station contact for direct medical control. METHODS: A review of case law through July 1994 was conducted to identify cases that involved radio communications between a prehospital provider and a physician or nurse under the direction of a physician. RESULTS: Only eight cases could be identified. Each case is described in terms of the event, selected pertinent legal issues, and the opinions rendered by the court. CONCLUSIONS: These few cases illustrate some important observations that indicate that there will occur an increase in the detail, role delineation, and clarification of the prehospital providers, medical directors, base-station physicians, and others who provide direct medical control to prehospital EMS providers. These findings have important implications for EMS medical directors.

Compatibility of wireless services with enhanced 911--FCC. Proposed rule.

The Commission seeks additional comment in wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) rulemaking proceeding with respect to an ex parte presentation filed by Ad Hoc Alliance for Public Access to 911 (Alliance) on September 17, 1998. In its ex parte filing and its accompanying engineering report, Alliance has presented an approach under which the Commission would require that, if the signal from the user's provider is "inadequate" at the time a 911 call is placed through the use of an analog cellular handset, then the handset must have the capability to select automatically the strongest available compatible channel of communications for purpose of completing the 911 call. Additional comment is sought to assist the Commission in determining whether to adopt the approach presented by the Alliance in its September 17 ex parte filing. The effect of adopting the Alliance approach would be to improve reliability of 911 services to wireless customers.

Creation of the Emergency Medical Radio Service--FCC. Final rule.

The Commission has adopted rules that create the Emergency Medical Radio Service. This action was taken to redress the adverse consequences on public health and safety resulting from current crowding on emergency medical channels. The rule changes will establish a discrete radio service category dedicated strictly to eligibles providing basic or advanced life support services on an ongoing basis and thereby ensure the reliability of emergency medical communications.

The development of technical and spectrum requirements for meeting federal, state and local public safety agency communication requirements through the year 2010, establishment of rules and requirements for priority access service--FCC. Proposed rule.

The federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a Third Notice of Proposed Rule Making ("Third Notice") contemporaneously with a First Report and Order ("First Report") that is summarized elsewhere in this edition of the Federal Register. By its Third Notice, the Commission makes a range of proposals and seeks comment relating to public safety communications in the 746-806 MHz band ("700 MHz band") and in general. The Commission invites comment on how to license the 8.8 megahertz of 700 MHz band spectrum designated as reserved in the First Report and on whether to directly license each state or use a regional planning process to administer the nationwide interoperability frequencies (2.6 MHz of spectrum designated in the First Report) pursuant to the national interoperability plan to be established by the National Coordination Committee. The Third Notice also discusses protection requirements for the Global Navigation Satellite Systems and offers proposals to facilitate use of nationwide interoperability in public safety bands below 512 MHz. Finally, because many of the automated and intelligent machines and systems on which public safety entities depend for their operations were not designed to take into account the date change that will occur on January 1, 2000, the Commission also seeks comment on how best to ascertain the extent, reach, and effectiveness of Year 2000 compliance initiatives that have been or are being undertaken by public safety entities, to better understand the nature of the Year 2000 problem and the potential risks posed to public safety communications networks. This action addresses an urgent need for additional public safety radio spectrum and the need for nationwide interoperability among local, state, and federal entities. By this action, the Commission also takes additional steps toward achieving its goals of developing a flexible regulatory framework to meet vital current and future public safety communications needs and ensuring that sufficient spectrum to accommodate efficient, effective telecommunications facilities and services will be available to satisfy public safety communications needs into the 21st century.

Establishment of disaster radio response program in the local government radio service for states, territories, and possessions: Federal Communications Commission. Final rule.

This document amends 2, 90, and 99 to allocate high frequency (HF) frequencies to be used by the States, Territories, and Possessions in meeting disaster communications needs. This action is necessary to provide these entities with frequency resources needed to fulfill disaster communications requirements.

Multiple-address radio systems, allocation of forty-eight 25 kHz channels in the 900 MHz range; and establishment of a new standard for frequency tolerance in the 952-960 MHz band: Federal Communications Commission. Third notice of proposed rulemaking.

In response to a petition, the Commission proposes the reallocation of forty-eight 25 kHz channels in the 928-929 and 952-960 MHz band segments to the Private Operational-Fixed Microwave Service and the Domestic Public Land Mobile Radio Service for distribution automation and wide-area control and repeater operations, respectively. The spectrum from 928 to 929 MHz is presently reserved for Land Mobile. The 952-950 MHz band is currently allocated to the Private Operational-Fixed Microwave Service and the International Control Services.

Private land mobile radio services; bio-medical telemetry operations--Federal Communications Commission. Final rule.

This action changes rules in the Special Emergency Radio Service to permit the limited use of bio-medical telemetry systems on certain medical services VHF frequencies. The operation is to be allowed only beyond fifty miles from the center of urbanized areas of 600,000 or more population (U.S. Census of 1970). The bio-medical telemetry system is used to send electrocardiograms from patients to hospitals.

Eligibility rules for special emergency paging--FCC. Final rule.

This action modifies 90.38 of the Commission's Rules by expanding the eligibility of end users to which special emergency paging licensees can provide service. Hospital paging systems could not be used to inform participants in an organ donor program of the availability of a suitable organ. The Commission has decided that patients actively awaiting an organ transplant should be eligible under the Special Emergency Radio Service to receive paging service.

The development of technical and spectrum requirements for meeting federal, state and local public safety agency communication requirements through the year 2010, establishment of rules and requirements for priority access service--FCC. Final rule.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopted a First Report and Order ("First Report") contemporaneously with a Third Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that is summarized elsewhere in this edition of the Federal Register. In the First Report, the Commission amends its rules relating to public safety communications in the 764-806 MHz band ("700 MHz band") that the Commission previously reallocated for public safety services and in general. This action commences the process of assigning licenses for frequencies in the 700 MHz band and addresses an urgent need for additional public safety radio spectrum and the need for nationwide interoperability among local, state, and federal entities. By this action, the Commission also takes additional steps toward achieving its goals of developing a flexible regulatory framework to meet vital current and future public safety communications needs and ensuring that sufficient spectrum to accommodate efficient, effective telecommunications facilities and services will be available to satisfy public safety communications needs into the 21st century.

Is EMS communicating with the FCC?

Radio communication problems in EMS run the spectrum from annoying to deadly. Dedicated radio frequencies for EMS, much like those exclusive to police and fire departments, are long overdue.

Anatomy of an ADA case. Chatoff v. City of New York.

This article addresses plaintiff and defense strategies in the context of an ADA case and is intended to serve as a ready reference to employer's counsel when faced with ADA litigation. In an ADA case, it is essential that counsel humanize the employer by keeping the "Our Business Supports Diversity" theme before the trier of facts at all times. This theme should be accompanied by the proposition that plaintiff's demands are not reasonable because they impose an undue burden on the employer or a risk to the safety of the employee or others in the workplace. It is also crucial for defense counsel to become familiar with the plaintiff's attorney's strategic considerations. ADA litigation strategy is illustrated by reference to Chatoff v. City of New York, a landmark ADA case instituted on behalf of the approximately 200,000 hearing-impaired residents of the City of New York, demanding equal and direct access to Emergency 911 services.

New radio service targets EMS communications.

The EMS community should commend the FCC for attempting to help relieve some of the frequency-congestion problems by adopting the EMRS. EMS users, however, should continue to advocate cost-effective solutions to EMS frequency-congestion problems.

Opinión de los responsables de los servicios de urgencias hospitalarios de Cataluña acerca de la creación de la especialidad de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias / Catalan hospital emergency department heads’ opinions on the creation of a residency program for specializing in emergency medicine

Objetivo: Conocer la opinión de los responsables de los servicios de urgencias hospitalarios (SUH) de Cataluña respecto al soporte e impacto que tendría la creación de la especialidad primaria de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias (MUE). Método: Se solicitó la opinión a los responsables de SUH respecto al respaldo a una futura especialidad primaria de MUE (personal, en su servicio y en su hospital) y la estimación del impacto (cualitativo y económico) que tendría en su SUH. Se compararon las respuestas en función del tipo de hospital y SUH y de su afiliación a la Sociedad Española de Medicina de Urgencias y Emergencias (SEMES). Resultados: Contestaron 79 de los 82 responsables de los SUH de Cataluña (96%), que percibieron una posición favorable a la creación de la especialidad, tanto ellos personalmente (93,7%; IC 95%: 85,8-97,9) como en sus SUH (88,6%; 79,4- 94,7) y hospitales (48,7%; 36,7-59,6). El 82,0% (71,7-89,8) opinó que la especialidad tendría un efecto positivo a corto plazo y el 94,8% (87,2-98,6) que también lo tendría a medio-largo plazo, y respecto al impacto económico, la opinión mayoritaria fue que sería neutro (60,3%; 48,6-71,2). Los responsables de SUH con actividad media, de hospitales privados y no afiliados a SEMES consideraron más frecuentemente que la creación de la especialidad encarecería el SUH (p < 0,05). Conclusiones: Los responsables de los SUH catalanes tienen una opinión favorable y también la perciben en su servicio y su hospital respecto a la creación de la especialidad primaria de MUE y consideran que tendría efectos beneficiosos a corto, medio y largo plazo para el SUH, con un escaso impacto económico (AU)

Objective: To understand the opinions of emergency department (ED) heads in Catalonia on their support for a residency program for specializing in emergency medicine (EM) and on their beliefs about the impact such a program would have. Methods: Heads of ED were asked if there would be support (from them, their staff, and their hospital) for a residency program to train specialists in EM. They were also asked their opinion on the impact that specialization would have on quality of care and costs in their department. Responses were compared by type of hospital and ED and by affiliation or not with the Spanish Society of Emergency Medicine (SEMES). Results: Responses were received from 79 of the 82 heads of hospital EDs in Catalonia (96%). They reported that favorable opinions toward creation of an EM specialization were held by them personally (93.7%; 95% CI, 85.8%–97.9%), by their in their departments (88.6%; 95% CI, 79.4%–94.7%), and by staff in their hospitals (48.7%; 95% CI, 36.7%–59.6%). A majority thought that the impact of specialization would be good in the short term (82.0%; 95% CI, 71.7%–89.8%) and in the medium and long term (94.8%; 95% CI, 87.2%–98.6%). The respondents were neutral about whether there would be an impact on costs (60.3%; 95% CI, 48.6%–71.2%). More heads in mid-sized hospitals, private hospitals, and nonmembers of SEMES thought that creating a specialty would raise ED costs (p<0,05). Conclusions: The heads of Catalan ED, their staff, and their hospitals’ staffs hold favorable opinions of the proposal to create a residency program allowing specialization in EM. They foresee short-, medium-, and long-term benefits for the EDs and scarce impact on costs (AU)