Abstract
Background
Telehealth has become increasingly essential in healthcare provision, also in the Prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS), where live video is implemented as a supplemental tool to assess and triage medical emergency calls. So far, using video for emergency calls seems beneficial for patient assessment and dispatcher-assisted first aid. However, the EMS dispatchers’ experiences with and perceptions of using video during emergency calls are largely unexplored.
Methods
In 2023, a nationwide survey study was conducted in Denmark, which is covered by five Emergency Medical Dispatch Centers. All Danish EMS dispatchers were invited to participate in the study. The survey explored the dispatchers’ experience with using video during emergency calls, the perception of their own video use, and the process of implementing video as a new tool in their working procedure. Main questions were answered on a scale from 1 to 7, where higher scores indicate more agreement.
Results
Of the 183 EMS dispatchers employed during the study period, 78% completed the survey. They found video easy to use (median = 7) and found video supportive in guidance and dispatch when the patient’s problem was unclear (median = 7), but did not find video suitable for all emergency calls and expressed that complications with the technology was a barrier for using video. The EMS dispatchers were least likely to agree that they choose not to use video due to the risk of being emotionally affected by what they might see (median = 1). When dividing the sample based on EMS dispatcher’s gender, age, seniority, and educational background, generally few differences between groups were found.
Conclusions
Live video during emergency calls is generally experienced as a useful supplemental tool by EMS dispatchers in Denmark, and the greatest self-perceived barriers for using video were not finding video suitable for all situations and the technology.
Telehealth has become increasingly essential in healthcare provision, also in the Prehospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS), where live video is implemented as a supplemental tool to assess and triage medical emergency calls. So far, using video for emergency calls seems beneficial for patient assessment and dispatcher-assisted first aid. However, the EMS dispatchers’ experiences with and perceptions of using video during emergency calls are largely unexplored.
Methods
In 2023, a nationwide survey study was conducted in Denmark, which is covered by five Emergency Medical Dispatch Centers. All Danish EMS dispatchers were invited to participate in the study. The survey explored the dispatchers’ experience with using video during emergency calls, the perception of their own video use, and the process of implementing video as a new tool in their working procedure. Main questions were answered on a scale from 1 to 7, where higher scores indicate more agreement.
Results
Of the 183 EMS dispatchers employed during the study period, 78% completed the survey. They found video easy to use (median = 7) and found video supportive in guidance and dispatch when the patient’s problem was unclear (median = 7), but did not find video suitable for all emergency calls and expressed that complications with the technology was a barrier for using video. The EMS dispatchers were least likely to agree that they choose not to use video due to the risk of being emotionally affected by what they might see (median = 1). When dividing the sample based on EMS dispatcher’s gender, age, seniority, and educational background, generally few differences between groups were found.
Conclusions
Live video during emergency calls is generally experienced as a useful supplemental tool by EMS dispatchers in Denmark, and the greatest self-perceived barriers for using video were not finding video suitable for all situations and the technology.
| Originalsprog | Engelsk |
|---|---|
| Artikelnummer | 1442 |
| Tidsskrift | BMC Health Services Research |
| Vol/bind | 24 |
| Udgave nummer | 1 |
| Antal sider | 12 |
| ISSN | 1472-6963 |
| DOI | |
| Status | Udgivet - 2024 |
Bibliografisk note
Funding Information:We sincerely thank the management in all five EMDCs in Denmark for approving the distribution of the questionnaire and supporting this study. We also thank Anne Kathrine Dalgaard, Tine Pradsgaard M\u00F8berg, Ole Laulund and Mette B\u00F8geskov-Jensen for helping us develop and distribute the questionnaire in the EMDCs. The authors are grateful to the Danish EMS dispatchers for participating in the study.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.