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MPDS Reliably Predicts Low Acuity Categorization
Hinchey P, Myers B, Zalkin J, et al: "Low acuity EMS dispatch criteria can reliably identify patients without high-acuity illness or injury." Prehospital Emergency Care. 11(1):42-48, 2007.
The Science
During a six-month period, the authors of this study examined the emergency medical dispatch records of almost 24,000 dispatches. Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) was used to categorize the calls. 2,703 calls were recorded as Alpha (lowest priority) of which 582 were excluded because of missing data. Of the remaining calls, only 21 were felt to have high acuity signs or symptoms by the responding paramedics. Of those, only eight were transported emergently.
They concluded that MPDS reliably predicted low acuity categorization greater than 99% of the time.
http://www.jems.com/columnists/Wesley/articles/282109/
Hinchey P, Myers B, Zalkin J, et al: "Low acuity EMS dispatch criteria can reliably identify patients without high-acuity illness or injury." Prehospital Emergency Care. 11(1):42-48, 2007.
The Science
During a six-month period, the authors of this study examined the emergency medical dispatch records of almost 24,000 dispatches. Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) was used to categorize the calls. 2,703 calls were recorded as Alpha (lowest priority) of which 582 were excluded because of missing data. Of the remaining calls, only 21 were felt to have high acuity signs or symptoms by the responding paramedics. Of those, only eight were transported emergently.
They concluded that MPDS reliably predicted low acuity categorization greater than 99% of the time.
http://www.jems.com/columnists/Wesley/articles/282109/