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Vehicle-at-scene-to-patient-access interval measured with computer-aided dispatch
J P Campbell1, M C Gratton, J P Girkin
1Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Truman Medical Center, University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Annals of Emergency Medicine
|February 1, 1995
Summary
Ambulance crews can report vehicle-at-scene-to-patient-access (VSPA) times, but reporting consistency needs improvement. The VSPA interval varies significantly, with a median of 1.3 minutes.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operations research.
- Healthcare systems analysis.
- Paramedic operational efficiency.
Background:
- Accurate measurement of emergency response intervals is crucial for optimizing patient care.
- The vehicle-at-scene-to-patient-access (VSPA) interval is a key performance indicator in EMS.
- Current methods for capturing VSPA data may have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of using ambulance crew self-reporting to measure the VSPA interval.
- To evaluate the reliability and consistency of crew-reported VSPA data.
- To characterize the distribution of VSPA intervals in an urban EMS setting.
Main Methods:
- A prospective pilot study employing a demonstration-proof-methodology.
- Ambulance crews reported VSPA times via radio communication for emergency calls.
- Data collection involved crew surveys and radio logs in an urban, all-ALS EMS system.
Main Results:
- Crew reporting compliance varied between 52.8% and 94%.
- The median VSPA interval was 1.3 minutes (IQR: 0.8–2.6 minutes).
- Significant variability was observed, with 25% of calls exceeding 2.5 minutes and 10% exceeding 5 minutes.
Conclusions:
- Ambulance crew reporting of patient access times is feasible.
- Strategies to enhance reporting consistency and frequency are recommended.
- The VSPA interval exhibits considerable variability and a non-normal distribution.