Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37340758›Full record

ArticlePrehospital and disaster medicine2023

"EM Doc On Call:" A Pilot Study to Improve Interhospital Transfers in Rwanda.

Vincent Ndebwanimana, Aly Beeman, Alexander Gallaer, Chantal Uwamahoro, Doris Uwamahoro, Cody Ritz, Samuel Lewis, Savanna Dayne Hoyt, Nzabandora Jean Paul, Gersandre Gonsalves-Domond and 3 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Prehospital and disaster medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 40% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.

Vincent NdebwanimanaAccident and Emergency, Kigali University Teaching Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda.
Aly BeemanWarren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode IslandUSA.
Alexander GallaerDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UtahUSA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6499-8063
Chantal UwamahoroDepartment of Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Doris UwamahoroAccident and Emergency, Kigali University Teaching Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda.
Cody RitzMD/MPH Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaUSA.
Samuel LewisDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WashingtonUSA.
Savanna Dayne HoytNortheast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine, Rootstown, OhioUSA.
Nzabandora Jean PaulDepartment of Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7338-1113
Gersandre Gonsalves-DomondBrown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode IslandUSA.
Enyonam OdoomWarren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode IslandUSA.
Mutijima VitalDepartment of Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Critical Care, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda.
Kyle Denison MartinWarren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, Rhode IslandUSA.
University of Rwanda · RWBrown University · USDrexel University · USNortheast Ohio Medical University · USUniversity of Utah · USUniversity of Washington · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionTreatment of seriously ill patients is often complicated by prolonged or complex transfers between hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. Difficulties or inefficiency in these transfers can lead to poor outcomes for patients. "On-call" triage systems have been utilized to facilitate communication between facilities and to avoid poor outcomes associated with patient transfer. This study attempts to examine the effects of a pilot study to implement such a system in Rwanda.

methodsData collection occurred prospectively in two stages, pre-intervention and intervention, in the emergency department (ED) at Kigali University Teaching Hospital (CHUK). All patients transferred during the pre-determined timeframe were enrolled. Data were collected by ED research staff via a standardized form. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA version 15.0. Differences in characteristics were assessed using χ

resultsDuring the "on call" physician intervention, the indication for transfer was significantly more likely to be for critical care (P <.001), transfer times were faster (P <.001), patients were more likely to be displaying emergency signs (P <.001), and vital signs were more likely to be collected prior to transport (P <.001) when compared to the pre-interventional phase.

conclusionThe "[Emergency Medicine] EM Doc On Call" intervention was associated with improved timely interhospital transfer and clinical documentation in Rwanda. While these data are not definitive due to multiple limitations, it is extremely promising and worthy of further study.

Indexed as

Emergency Service, HospitalPatient TransferHospitalsHumansPilot ProjectsRwandaEmergency MedicineinterhospitalprehospitalRwandatele-transfer

Identifiers

PMID37340758
PMCPMC10445112
OpenAlexW4381469556

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-SA
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.