# What information do you get from your company's dispatch when you receive a run?



## Ip man (Mar 19, 2012)

Hey guys. I just started on my first EMT-B job maybe a few weeks ago and I'm still feeling the waters in terms of procedure of picking up a patient. A lot of times I have no information about the patient except for their name until I get to the dest. At that point my PCR's narrative is still missing a lot of information except for Vitals CC and other assessment information which I could obtain directly from the patient. and I have to give the PCR to the receiving facility to sign already. I don't know it just feels funny to me giving something incomplete for the receiving facility to sign. Is this okay and if it is what are major parts of the PCR you guys feel should be completed before having the receiving facility sign it?


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## DesertMedic66 (Mar 19, 2012)

If the call is an IFT we get the patients name, location of pick up and drop off, and C/C. 

If the call is 911 we get location of call and a C/C (the C/C is hardly ever accurate). 

Regardless of the call we are supposed to print out our finished PCRs and hand them to the patients nurse by end of shift. However our PCR system is set up so that the hospitals can view our PCRs online at anytime.


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## exodus (Mar 19, 2012)

All the hospital wants would be: Name, age, social, DOB, how you got the patient, why they have the patient, assessment, and vitals.  They simply need the PCR for continuing care in the chart. It will just get stuck in the back and probably never looked at.


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## WolfmanHarris (Mar 19, 2012)

For IFT (stable or stat) I get Pt name, location, sending MD, receiving MD, diagnosis, precautions and required equipment if known. Upon arrival we take full verbal report from the sending staff and receive a copy of the complete chart. I then do my assessment and get initial vitals before leaving the bedside. (Got caught once on a return home with a patient with sats in their boots. Turns out the hospital and forgotten to reapply o2 following treatment and she was not usually obtunded like the staff said. Good lesson learned.)


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## Ewok Jerky (Mar 19, 2012)

*what info do you really need?*

For scene calls we generally get a location and c/c.

For IFT calls, we get location, destination, name, special equipment, and a "c/c or diagnosis".  I put that in quotes because it is wrong or inaccurate 50% of the time.

all I really need is a location and for IFT a Pt name.  I can get the rest (c/c, Hx, meds, allergies, demographics, and of course I do my own assessment) myself either from the Pt or from the Pt's nurse, or the paperwork that goes with the Pt.

As for your PCR- the sending facility should be giving you any paperwork that the receiving facility will need. Sometime we are not provided with demographics at sending facility, but in those cases the receiving should have it because it is a repatriation.  in any event, I am not leaving until I have the info I need, and if I need to hang around for ten minutes to write my PCR then that is what happens.


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## tssemt2010 (Mar 19, 2012)

emergency or non emergency response, chief complaint, call location, patients age and gender and sometimes the destination


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 19, 2012)

911 is address, map page and coordinates, priority/non priority, and nature of the call (like everyone said, not usually accurate)

IFT we get address, room number, bed number if applicable and destination.


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## WolfmanHarris (Mar 19, 2012)

For emerg calls we're paged out from the base with: "_____ Base, ______ Base, Code (3, 4, or 8. Anything else is given out by phone), *Cross Street*." About 30 seconds later we get a back-up page.

Once we book on we get:
[Unit #] you are in service Priority [3 or 4] to
[Street Address repeated twice], [followed by cross street then UTM],
- Chief complaint and incident history
- Febrile Respiratory Illness Screening
- FD tiered yes/no?

Apparently in the next couple years the province is updating the radio system and we'll be adding computer aided dispatch so that call info will be on the screen and we'll confirm en route with a button cutting way down on radio traffic. As a provincial plan I'll hold my breath.


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## Shishkabob (Mar 19, 2012)

If it's a transfer, we get the hospital and room number, then where we're going.  We're lucky if the call taker isn't lazy and puts atleast the last name in.

If it's 911, address, MAPSCO page, and basic information about the call which is generally not too accurate.  




You should have plenty of time to finish the PCR before you clear the call.  Turn the patient over, do the paperwork, hand it over to the facility staff when complete, then clear from the call.    I don't understand the issue?


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## fast65 (Mar 19, 2012)

Depending on whether it's an IFT or a 911 call. 

For IFT's we get:

-Code 1 or code 3
-Transferring hospital
-Receiving hospital
-Whether or not we need a third person

For 911 calls: 
-Pt. age/gender
-Location of call
-C/C
-History of current event
-Other relevant (or irrelevant) info


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## Tigger (Mar 19, 2012)

For IFT:

Patient's name, location and pickup time destination, and any equipment needed. If it's a regular we might only get the name and time ready.

For Emergency:

Patient location, gender, age, chief complaint, alertness, history of current event. If it's at a facility we'll get the preferred ER, any interventions started, and possibly a name.

Also we have no MDT so any information has to come over the radio or the subsequent phone call to dispatch when I can't hear half the transmission.


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## Anjel (Mar 20, 2012)

Run number..... Pt name if available... Address... Cheif complaint, priority and if it is bravo or alpha.


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## medicdan (Mar 20, 2012)

Sending facility, floor, receiving facility, floor, last name, first name, additional equipment (O2, monitor, IV, med pump, vent, etc), run number


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## Joe (Mar 20, 2012)

Address, cross streets, map grid, and the call code like and pain or whatever.


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 20, 2012)

Your companies broadcast pt names over the air? Privacy violation much, they are public airwaves....

Any sort of personal or additional information comes over our pagers. Also all the info i stated earlier is paged to us. 

I forgot to add orders to IFT like emt.dan said. It's happened before though that we get to a floor and were told only orders are o2 so all we bring is a tank and it turns out the pt is vented, on a drip and requires monitoring....it's great fun, especially when we are on the top floors of the hospital in the furthest tower from the ambulance bay.


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## Anjel (Mar 20, 2012)

Ha kidding. 

Thats what we get on our pager. 

On air we get

Priority....address...chief complaint,.and who is going to be responding. 

IFT we get where we are picking them up,.pick up time, and where we are going, and if we need anything special.


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## Tigger (Mar 20, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Your companies broadcast pt names over the air? Privacy violation much, they are public airwaves....
> 
> Any sort of personal or additional information comes over our pagers. Also all the info i stated earlier is paged to us.
> 
> I forgot to add orders to IFT like emt.dan said. It's happened before though that we get to a floor and were told only orders are o2 so all we bring is a tank and it turns out the pt is vented, on a drip and requires monitoring....it's great fun, especially when we are on the top floors of the hospital in the furthest tower from the ambulance bay.



Not a privacy violation. We are on a digital system that is apparently encrypted. Scannerland is not able to here our operations.


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## Ip man (Mar 21, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Your companies broadcast pt names over the air? Privacy violation much, they are public airwaves....
> 
> Any sort of personal or additional information comes over our pagers. Also all the info i stated earlier is paged to us.
> 
> I forgot to add orders to IFT like emt.dan said. It's happened before though that we get to a floor and were told only orders are o2 so all we bring is a tank and it turns out the pt is vented, on a drip and requires monitoring....it's great fun, especially when we are on the top floors of the hospital in the furthest tower from the ambulance bay.



Don't be mistaken. I only receive pick up location and destination address on the radio. Usually I have to get pt. name at the hospital or I'll have to call dispatch.


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## rennex (Mar 21, 2012)

Location of pickup, pt name, room number if applicable, destination, pcr call #


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## medicdan (Mar 21, 2012)

Tigger said:


> Not a privacy violation. We are on a digital system that is apparently encrypted. Scannerland is not able to here our operations.



Yup. We're trunked (I think also on a commercial/industrial system) and certainly not publicly accessible.


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 21, 2012)

emt.dan said:


> Yup. We're trunked (I think also on a commercial/industrial system) and certainly not publicly accessible.



Don't be so sure. I surprised several people at work by showing them on a scanner that the "private" channel wasn't all that private.


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## medicdan (Mar 21, 2012)

I hear that... Radio security isn't quite my foray, and I suspect the company outsources/contracts out the management to experts. To your knowledge, is there a truly secure method?


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## Shishkabob (Mar 21, 2012)

NVRob said:


> Your companies broadcast pt names over the air? Privacy violation much, they are public airwaves....



Actually, it's not legal privacy concern.  Since HIPAA is the main player in this field, we'll use that as the example.  HIPAA permits ANY release of PHI when used in the course of patient care.  Telling a crew where to go and who to find is part of patient care.  Obviously you can try to avoid releasing the name, but there is no legal requirement.  


Just like you can talk to an RN in a room and not be afraid of being fined because a patient in the next room over-hears, you don't have to be afraid to say PHI over the radio and getting in any sort of legal trouble.  


Think about it... the law is loosely defined as providing any info to someone else that can identify a patient.  Dispatch can withold the name, but saying "A 49 year old female at 123 Main Street for vaginal bleeding", it can be easily determined who the patient is, and therefor is a breach of HIPAA... if it weren't already considered legal.  

And that's if a dispatch center is even considered a covered entity in the first place, which many are not.


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## Tigger (Mar 21, 2012)

Linuss said:


> Actually, it's not legal privacy concern.  Since HIPAA is the main player in this field, we'll use that as the example.  HIPAA permits ANY release of PHI when used in the course of patient care.  Telling a crew where to go and who to find is part of patient care.  Obviously you can try to avoid releasing the name, but there is no legal requirement.
> 
> 
> Just like you can talk to an RN in a room and not be afraid of being fined because a patient in the next room over-hears, you don't have to be afraid to say PHI over the radio and getting in any sort of legal trouble.
> ...


Thank you for this clarification, I thought this was the case but was not sure. 

I am also fairly sure our ICOM system is not accessible to anyone without a company radio, I've tried and failed to find it.


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## 94H (Mar 21, 2012)

Ip man said:


> I don't know it just feels funny to me giving something incomplete for the receiving facility to sign. Is this okay and if it is what are major parts of the PCR you guys feel should be completed before having the receiving facility sign it?



We use HealthEMS at my service so if we are doing the trip sheet on the computer the nurse (and pt) usually signs a generic signature form anyway


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## Tigger (Mar 21, 2012)

Ip man said:


> I don't know it just feels funny to me giving something incomplete for the receiving facility to sign. Is this okay and if it is what are major parts of the PCR you guys feel should be completed before having the receiving facility sign it?



Unless you have a policy to the contrary I wouldn't worry. When you give your report you're giving the same information that is (or hopefully is) on your narrative. We aren't even required to get the ER to sign unless it's a psych hold. I get one anyway to avoid those pesky abandonment charges though. Often times I have the RN sign the PCR and then I'll go write the narrative, they have no use for that section and I can generally get vitals, PMH, allergies, and demographics before we get to the hospital. That way I don't have to bother the staff or patient later, which just gets in the way of the ER treating the patient.


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 23, 2012)

emt.dan said:


> I hear that... Radio security isn't quite my foray, and I suspect the company outsources/contracts out the management to experts. To your knowledge, is there a truly secure method?



Sure. There are secure methods, but very few people use them. There are also methods that are purported to be "unlistenable" that are easily monitored with a radio shack scanner. The Radio system sales people are not beyond telling city officials that the new system will be private and unlistenable. For example, many of the medics at my current service believe our "operations" talk group on the trunk system is private and can't be monitored by anyone. Not so. It's unencrypted and easily scanned by anyone with a digital P25 capable scanner. Its also mostly boring chatter... But that's not the point.


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## Handsome Robb (Mar 24, 2012)

94H said:


> We use HealthEMS at my service so if we are doing the trip sheet on the computer the nurse (and pt) usually signs a generic signature form anyway



We use HealthEMS too.

Maybe it's an IFT thing but I've never had a nurse sign anything...It's always been, "here's blah blah he's your patient, blah blah blah blah. ksweetthanks"

Then in my narrative "PT left in xxxx ER Room ## with report given to xxxxxxx RN."


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## NomadicMedic (Mar 24, 2012)

I think it all depends on where you work. I worked for a BLS IFT Company and the rule was, if you didn't get a signature from both the patient and the nurse, the report wasn't complete.


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## feldy (Mar 25, 2012)

We only do 911.

Priority (Code 1,2,3)
District
Address
Cross Streets
C/c
history (if applicable)
Whether or not fire enroute (for all code 3 calls)
any additional notes (code 4, gate codes, specific instructs that the call taker gets)


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## Cup of Joe (Mar 25, 2012)

Type of call (Ambulance, Fire, Rescue, etc.), Location of Call, Additional Information (Diff Breathing, Odor of Smoke, Elevator Rescue, etc.), and Time of Alarm.


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## Rettsani (Mar 26, 2012)

*We get our runs via pager:*
- Run. Nr. 
- keyword
- Name
- Adress


*keyword Exampels:*
HiLoPe - helpless person, INTERN1 = internistic only Ambulanz, INTERN2 = internistic Ambulance and Emergency Physician Vehicle, CHIR1 = surgical only Ambulanze, CHIR2 = surgical Ambulanze and Emergency Physician Vehicle


*We can then acknowledge the message by status-donor:*
1- Ready to use on radio
2 - Ready to use on Station
3 - Run assumed
4 - Arrival 
5 - voice request
6 - not Ready
7 - patient included
8 - at Hospital
9 - hand receipt
0 - Emergency Call


*At the voice prompt from Dispatcher:*
Gender, age, diagnosis, special features, providing doctor at Hospital, arrival time, Which Hospital


*Diagnosis code Example:*
Z1Stroke , Z2 brain hemorrhage, Z3 epileptic seizure, K2 heart attack, K1 CPR


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## izibo (Mar 29, 2012)

We are exclusively 911 so we get:

- List of units being dispatched
- Address
- Cross Street
- Response Level (Alpha-Echo)
- Chief Complaint
- Channel Assignment


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## TraprMike (Mar 31, 2012)

Ip man said:


> Hey guys. I just started on my first EMT-B job maybe a few weeks ago and I'm still feeling the waters in terms of procedure of picking up a patient. A lot of times I have no information about the patient except for their name until I get to the dest. At that point my PCR's narrative is still missing a lot of information except for Vitals CC and other assessment information which I could obtain directly from the patient. and I have to give the PCR to the receiving facility to sign already. I don't know it just feels funny to me giving something incomplete for the receiving facility to sign. Is this okay and if it is what are major parts of the PCR you guys feel should be completed before having the receiving facility sign it?




sometimes we get the wrong address:wacko:


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