A survey of prehospital care paramedic/physician communication for Multnomah County (Portland), Oregon.
All field paramedic/patient encounters requiring advanced life support management in Multnomah County, Oregon, required radio/telephone communications with the emergency department physicians of the county's single medical resource hospital for a period of 6 months. A survey of these communications (compliance estimated to be 75% to 80%) demonstrated that paramedics established contact during management or transport in one-half of instances and after transport in the remainder. Consultation was estimated to be helpful in 12% to 17% of cases and of critical importance rarely. Additional benefits were seen in hospital notification, education, and as an adjunct to the medical record; and the concept of a single centralized resource hospital was established in this community.
D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians; D006785:Hospitals, University; D009922:Oregon; D010820:Physicians; D011845:Radio; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013689:Telephone