ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2021
Medical dispatchers' perception of the interaction with the caller during emergency calls - a qualitative study.
Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed.
- Video-assisted versus telephone-only pediatric emergency calls: a predefined substudy of the cluster randomized CAM-VISION trial.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026Trial
- Video Streaming or Telephone Communication During Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Calls: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- The competency requirements for emergency medical services call takers and dispatchers - a scoping review.African journal of emergency medicine : Revue africaine de la medecine d'urgence · 2026Article
- Dispatcher Performance and Prehospital Outcomes in Telephone-Assisted Airway Management following Foreign Body Obstruction: A Cross-Sectional Study.Archives of academic emergency medicine · 2026Article
- Difficult calls to emergency medical dispatch centres - a mixed method study.BMC emergency medicine · 2025Article
- "All sorts of colours of emotions": Ambulance call-handlers' perceptions of the barriers to CPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.Resuscitation plus · 2025Article
- Cortisol levels and perceived stress in emergency call operators.Frontiers in public health · 2025Article
- Medical dispatchers' experience with live video during emergency calls: a national questionnaire study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Factors affecting emergency medical dispatchers decision making in stroke calls - a qualitative study.BMC emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Video livestreaming from medical emergency callers' smartphones to emergency medical dispatch centres: a scoping review of current uses, opportunities, and challenges.BMC emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Article
- "Calling for help: i need you to listen'': a qualitative study of callers' experience of calls to the emergency medical communication centre.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2023Article
- Identifying patients at imminent risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the Emergency Medical call: The views of call-takers.Resuscitation plus · 2023Article
- Spatial and temporal analysis of road traffic crashes and ambulance responses in Lagos state, Nigeria.BMC public health · 2023Article
- Is dispatcher-assisted cardiopulmonary resuscitation affected by a bystander's emotional stress state in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest?Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2023Observational
- Situation awareness of emergency response centre personnel during chemical incidents: an interview study in a Swedish context.BMJ open · 2023Article
- Differences between the dispatch priority assessments of emergency medical dispatchers and emergency medical services: a prospective register-based study in Finland.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2023Article
- Article
- From hearing to seeing: medical dispatchers' experience with use of video streaming in medical emergency calls - a qualitative study.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Exploring the challenges to telephone triage in pre-hospital emergency care: a qualitative content analysis.BMC health services research · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundMedical dispatching is a highly complex procedure and has an impact upon patient outcome. It includes call-taking and triage, prioritization of resources and the provision of guidance and instructions to callers. Whilst emergency medical dispatchers play a key role in the process, their perception of the process is rarely reported. We explored medical dispatchers' perception of the interaction with the caller during emergency calls. Secondly, we aimed to develop a model for emergency call handling based on these findings.
methodsTo provide an in-depth understanding of the dispatching process, an explorative qualitative interview study was designed. A grounded theory design and thematic analysis were applied.
resultsA total of 5 paramedics and 6 registered nurses were interviewed. The emerging themes derived from dispatchers' perception of the emergency call process were related to both the callers and the medical dispatchers themselves, from which four and three themes were identified, respectively. Dispatchers reported that for callers, the motive for calling, the situation, the perception and presentation of the problem was influencing factors. For the dispatchers the expertise, teamwork and organization influenced the process. Based on the medical dispatchers´ perception, a model of the workflow and interaction between the caller and the dispatcher was developed based on themes related to the caller and the dispatcher.
conclusionsAccording to medical dispatchers, the callers seem to lack knowledge about best utilization of the emergency number and the medical dispatching process, which can be improved by public awareness campaigns and incorporating information into first aid courses. For medical dispatchers the most potent modifiable factors were based upon the continuous professional development of the medical dispatchers and the system that supports them. The model of call handling underlines the complexity of medical dispatching that embraces the context of the call beyond clinical presentation of the problem.
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