Communication difficulties during 999 ambulance calls: observational study
BMJ 2001; 323 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7316.781 (Published 06 October 2001) Cite this as: BMJ 2001;323:781
- J Higgins, research fellowa,
- S Wilson, senior research fellow (s.wilson@bham.ac.uk)b,
- P Bridge, project officerb,
- M W Cooke, senior lecturera
- a Emergency Medicine Research Group, Centre for Primary Health Care Studies, School of Health and Social Studies, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL
- b Emergency Medicine Research Group, Department of Primary Care and General Practice, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT
- Correspondence to: S Wilson
- Accepted 21 May 2001
One of the key roles of ambulance call receivers is to obtain accurate information concerning the location of the patient and their complaint. The automatic tracing of calls to their source can accurately determine the location of most patients. Obtaining information on the patient's condition, however, depends on effective communication between the call maker and the call receiver. Ambulance services in the United Kingdom now use priority dispatch systems to categorise calls according to the level of urgency for medical treatment and to provide first aid advice (for example, cardiopulmonary resuscitation). 1 2 The safety and effectiveness of priority dispatch has been assessed3; however, whether call receivers are able to procure accurate and reliable information has not been established. This study aimed to determine the nature and extent of communication problems encountered during 999 calls.
Participants, methods, and results
The study population comprised 999 calls received by an urban (West Midlands Ambulance Service) and a rural (Derbyshire Ambulance Service) ambulance …