[Use of skills among ambulance crews assessed by ambulance on-line record-keeping system]

To fulfil the increasing requirements for documentation and quality assurance, amPHI, an ambulance on-line record-keeping system has been developed. We present the data from the pilot study to access how often ambulance crews use their skills.

As a pilot study amPHI was installed and tested in an emergency ambulance for 21 months. Data was entered using a computer with touch-enabled screen. Communication between the ambulance and the hospital was established through a special secured network based on the GSM mobile telephone network.

The ambulance was dispatched for 830 high-priority services and amPHI was used in 674 cases (81%) during the pilot study. A total of 26 out of 31 skills were used less than ten times a year per EMT (Emergency Medical Technician). Three of these skills--mask-ventilation, CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) and suction are technically difficult and require routine.

The initial treatment is of prime importance for the outcome of the patient. It is therefore necessary to ensure that the ambulance crew is able to maintain their skills. In this connection amPHI can be very useful. Important and sometimes life-saving skills such as mask-ventilation, CPR and suction were used to a very limited extent. It is of great importance for the EMT to keep up these skills in another way. The ambulance crews are satisfied with the amPHI system and find it easy to use.