Structured communication during emergency response driving: Safety-critical points identified by Finnish emergency...

Emergency response driving (ERD) is a major occupational risk factor in emergency medical services (EMS). Inadequate communication has been acknowledged as a significant contributing cause for major incidents during ERD. Previous evidence shows that structured communication can promote safety in high-risk procedures, but knowledge in ERD context is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine what are the safety-critical points in ERD that should be secured using structured communication.

The nominal group technique (NGT) was used for gathering interview material from ERD experts' (n = 11) workshop. In addition, semi-structured thematic interviews were conducted with other ERD experts (n = 15) from five different EMS areas in Finland. The interview material was analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Using NGT, 13 safety-critical points in ERD requiring the use of structured communication were identified. As a result of the interviews, two main categories were found: 1) Factors affecting the adaptation of the appropriate speed for the current situation and 2) Factors affecting orientation in a driving event.

ERD comprises multiple safety-critical points that should be secured using structured communication between ambulance crew members. Pilot and implementation studies exploring the use of structured communication in ERD are needed in the future.