ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To establish a uniform framework describing the system and organisation of emergency medical response centres and the process of emergency medical dispatching (EMD) when reporting results from studies in emergency medicine and prehospital care. DESIGN AND RESULTS: In September 2005 a task force of 22 experts from 12 countries met in Stavanger; Norway at the Utstein Abbey to review data and establish a common terminology for medical dispatch centres including core and optional data to be used for health monitoring, benchmarking and future research.
Subject(s)
Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems/organization & administration , Emergency Medicine , Guidelines as Topic , Health Services Research/organization & administration , Humans , Research DesignABSTRACT
"Reforming Emergency Care" has huge implications for ambulance services to develop their future role and the opportunity to improve patient care. This article aims to stimulate debate on the effect on ambulance services in the United Kingdom.
Subject(s)
Ambulances , Emergency Medical Services/organization & administration , Health Care Reform/organization & administration , Transportation of Patients/methods , Allied Health Personnel/education , Family Practice/methods , Health Priorities/organization & administration , Health Resources/organization & administration , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Health Services Needs and Demand/organization & administration , Humans , Patient Care Team/organization & administration , Referral and Consultation , State Medicine/organization & administration , United KingdomABSTRACT
This article seeks to discover and recognize the importance of clinical governance within a new and emerging quality National Health Service (NHS) system. It evaluates the present state of prehospital care and recommends how change, via clinical governance, can ensure a paradigm shift from its currently fragmented state to a seamless ongoing patient care episode. Furthermore, it identifies the drivers of a quality revolution, examines the monitoring and supervision of quality care, and evaluates the role of evidence-based practice. A frank and open view of immediate care doctors is presented, with recommendations to improve the quality of skill delivery and reduce the disparity that exists. Finally, it reviews the current problems with pre-hospital care and projects a future course for quality and patient care excellence.
