Centralization of Dispatch Centers of Emergency Medical Service in Central Bohemian Region: Impact on Care Quality
Abstract
The first phase of centralization of emergency medical dispatch centres in the Central Bohemian region went through during the first half of 2011. Four local emergency medical dispatch centres were gradually brought together into one entity.
The aim of the research was to evaluate impacts of the organizational change on key quality parameters. The observational retrospective study consists of two groups of data, collected from identical area during two equivalent periods.
Group A contains data from the period of six months before and group B contains data from the period of six months after the centralization. Key quality indicators were compared in both groups: response time; call processing times; safety of classification and indication of calls; use of dispatch life support and advice and appropriate use ambulances in areas around former district boarders.
After the centralization of four local emergency medical dispatch centres into one entity both answering and call processing times shortened, classification of most serious calls enhanced, sensitivity to dispatching of appropriate level of ambulance to most serious calls increased, sensitivity to implementation of dispatch life support increased, sensitivity to implementation of advice and support increased, and the total time of ALS reaction in areas along former district boarders decreased. Results obtained during the study shows that the quality of care of the emergency medical dispatch centre of the Emergency Medical Service of the Central Bohemian region increased rapidly after the first phase of its centralization.