A poison information service via an automated facsimile (fax) system: an adjunct to the operator-based service

Poison centers are faced with the escalating costs of specialist staffing and increased investments in hardware and databases despite deficit funding. We developed an automated fax information system to access poison information from any fax machine without special training or equipment.

We provided a 3-month trial service of the fax system in conjunction with the regular operator-based service and analyzed the fax access log, followed by a questionnaire to the 2204 affiliate members regarding the use of the fax.

A total 657 accesses to the fax system were made, of which 105 (16%) were unsuccessful; 342 (52%) were made to retrieve the user's manual, 85 (13%) to retrieve the index pages, and 230 (35%) to retrieve documentation on specific substances. The most frequently accessed items concerned disc battery ingestion (13.5%), salicylates (10.3%), mamushi viper (7.1%), acetaminophen (5.8%), and sodium hypochlorite (3.8%). The questionnaires were returned by 666 (30.2%) members; 93 (14%) had actually used the fax system with the average frequency of 1.8 times/user, 63% (59/93) of the respondents considered the service satisfactory, and 33% (31/93) said it was somewhat unsatisfactory.

The automated fax information system was accepted and handled by users with only minor difficulty. A facsimile information service may have a valuable role in providing poisoning information and has potential benefits in cases of environmental disasters.