EFFECT OF A COMPREHENSIVE QUALITY MANAGEMENT PROCESS ON COMPLIANCE WITH PROTOCOL IN AN EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH CENTER

Study objective: Modern emergency medical dispatch provides appropriat e resource responses with the use of an emergency medical dispatch pri ority reference system (EMDPRS), The EMDPRS is a systematic protocol f or all aspects of the dispatch process, including interrogating the ca ller, matching responses with severity, and providing pre-arrival care . We tested the hypothesis that appropriate performance feedback would increase dispatcher compliance with the protocol. Methods: We examine d how emergency medical dispatchers complied with the protocols contai ned in the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System, a commercially a vailable EMDPRS. Six key areas and overall compliance were studied, Di spatchers performed for 2 months without feedback and for a further 2 months with performance feedback. We used statistical methods to compa re the dispatchers' compliance with the protocols each month. Results: The mean overall compliance score improved from 76.4% +/- 10.2% (mean +/- SD) in the absence of performance feedback to 96.2% +/- 4.0% (n=2 17; P<.001) when performance feedback was provided. Five of 6 key area s showed similar improvements. Conclusion: Providing emergency medical dispatchers with regular and objective feedback regarding their perfo rmance dramatically improves how rigorously they follow a systematized dispatch protocol.