Factors affecting emergency medical dispatchers decision making in stroke calls - a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Emergency Medical Communication Centers (EMCC) have a key role in the prehospital chain-of-stroke-survival by recognizing stroke patients and reducing prehospital delay. However, studies on EMCC stroke recognition report both substantial undertriage and overtriage. Since mis-triage at the EMCC challenges the whole chain-of-stroke-survival, by occupying limited resources for non-stroke patients or failing to recognize the true stroke patients, there is a need to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the dispatchers' routines and experiences. The aim of this study was to explore factors affecting EMCC dispatcher's decision-making in stroke calls.

Materials and methods

A qualitative exploratory study, based on individual semi-structured interviews of 15 medic

SUBMITTER: Jamtli B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11566283 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature