Enhance Call-Taking Procedures

Operating a call taking service for non-emergency transports involves numerous liability concerns beginning at the time the call for service is placed.  The caller is dependent on the professional ability of your organization to determine if the request for service may be handled by your agency or if another service should be notified; including the possibility of an emergency provider. In many cases the caller is from a contracted facility or existing customer that has placed trust in you as an experienced medical provider.  This determination can be difficult without the proper training as a telecommunicator and the benefit of an approved Emergency Medical Dispatch protocol.  Therefore, certain steps must be taken to reduce the risk of error during these incidents and provide the proper care to the patient.

During the recent survey of your organization, it was noted that calls for service are answered using a 7-digit land line telephone or a cellular device which is staffed by general employees that may not be qualified to make critical decisions involving the request for service.

We recommend your organization continue this practice that certain steps are taken in insure consistency of service delivery to all callers requesting non-emergency transports or callers with true medical emergencies.

• The use of cellular telephones is discouraged based on their fundamental design.  Wireless service is described in most service agreements “as not suitable for emergency or life threatening situations”.  This is because a dedicated signal cannot be guaranteed and the condition or operation of each individual device varies greatly.
• If a land line is used; it should be dedicated to only calls for service activities and not used for any other purpose such as but not limited to:  administrative calls, facsimile lines, computer modems, etc.
• If the line is in use (busy); a rollover or phantom line should be assigned that automatically sends the call to another staffed number  and or includes a recording advising the caller if they have an emergency to “ hang up and dial 911 immediately.”
• Under no circumstance should the above described call taking center gather information from the caller once it is determined that the request for service is an emergency.  Gathering second hand information to deliver to a 911 Communications Center delays the needed response and may result in incorrect lifesaving details.
• Written or electronic records of received calls for service should be kept that include but are not limited to:  call received time, callers name or facility name, chief complaint or service needed, estimated time of arrival, etc.