title: Congruency in physician-EMT assessment.
abstract: The transport of 488 patients by Department of Health and Hospital (DHH) ambulances during a three-week period was studied in an effort to determine the operational effectiveness of the Point of Entry (POE) Plan in Boston. The Plan is based on an assumption that EMTs can correctly assess patients' medical problems. Comparisons of the physicians' diagnoses and the EMTs' assessments were made to establish the level of congruency for each of the seven care categories delineated. Several secondary univariate analyses were performed for their association with accuracy in patient assessment. Appropriate ambulance utilization also was reviewed based on the diagnosis and the circumstances of the incident. Findings supported the effectiveness of the assessment and transportation of emergency patients in the Boston emergency medical services system.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000488:Allied Health Personnel; D002056:Burns / Q000175:diagnosis; D003933:Diagnosis; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D010372:Pediatrics; D011041:Poisoning / Q000175:diagnosis; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis