Temple College EMS Professions1 COMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN - BASIC

Temple College EMS Professions 1

COMMUNICATIONS

EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN - BASIC


PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS

• ACCESS/NOTIFICATION– Communication between party needing help

and dispatcher– Via public telephone– Via non-public telephone or radio from fire,

police



• DISPATCH– Alert personnel and direct to scene– Radio paging, telephone, radio voice

communications



• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DISPATCH AND EMS UNIT– En route– On-scene– Departure from scene– Arrival at receiving facility– In-service



• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DISPATCH AND EMS UNIT (Cont.)– Assistance with mechanical or navigational

problem– Immediate assistance or information from

police, fire, or highway department– General coordination of units



• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN EMS UNIT AND HOSPITAL/PHYSICIAN– Early alert of hospital to incoming patients– On-line medical direction– Diversion to specialized health care facilities



• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HOSPITALS– Direct link for medical resources and patient

transfers– Back-up communications link



• COMMUNICATIONS WITH SUPPORT AGENCIES– Through dispatch centers– Directly between field units



• COORDINATION WITH OTHER COMMUNICATION NETWORKS– Amateur radio– Citizen’s band– Commercial broadcast– Business radio


EMS Communications & the FCC

• Control all radio communications

• Allocate specific radio frequencies for use by EMS providers

• License base stations and assign call signs


EMS Communications & the FCC

• Establish licensing standards and operating specifications

• Establish limits for transmitter power output

• Monitor radio operations


EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS

• BASE STATION– Transmitter/Receiver at fixed location– Used for dispatch, coordination, medical control– Geography/Terrain influence installation– Power output is 42-275 watts– Multi-channel bases can receive on all channels

simultaneously but can transmit on only one channel at a time



• MOBILE TRANSMITTER/RECEIVERS– Physically mounted in vehicles– Power output is 20-50 watts– Range is 10-12 miles over average terrain

• decreases in mountainous areas, areas with large buildings

• increases on water or flat terrain

– All mobiles in local system have multiple channel capacity



• PORTABLE TRANSMITTER/RECEIVERS– Hand-held - “walkie-talkie”– Range limited by low output power – May be single or multi-channel– May be designed to retransmit through mobile

unit to increase range– Best signal quality - antenna perpendicular



• REPEATERS– Extend range of mobile and portable units– Receive signal on one frequency and retransmit

it on second frequency at higher power– May be fixed or mobile



• SATELLITE RECEIVERS– Additional receivers located about area of

desired radio coverage to insure low power mobiles and portables are always in range

– Connected to base station or repeater by telephone lines or microwave relay



• REMOTE CONSOLES– Control console and microphone connected to

base station by telephone lines, microwave, radio

– Allows remote locations such as hospitals to use base station

• ENCODERS/DECODERS


TRANSMITTING INFORMATION

• Have all information you need to report available BEFORE you start talking

• Report the status of the ABC’s, the chief complaint, and the vital signs EARLY

• Do Not Diagnose; Describe the patient’s problem



• Use standard medical terminology– If you don’t know the word, use plain English

• Repeat all orders– if you are uncertain about what the physician

said or you think an order is incorrect, ask him/her to repeat the order



• Avoid on-going transmissions– Stop talking every minute and assure that the

receiving station has copied

• Use a standard format for reporting patient information report the same way, every time



• If a standard format is not used . – all the essential information is not provided– time is wasted– patient care is delayed while the hospital

attempts to get needed information– frustration will result



• The better the picture you can paint for the receiving personnel, the better prepared they will be to receive your patient

• REMEMBER: Your job is to communicate, not to show off!


PRESENTING INFORMATION

• IDENTIFY YOURSELF– Identify service, unit number, personnel I.D.

number

• IDENTIFY PATIENT– Age, sex, and weight (no names)



• IDENTIFY SITUATION– Causes– Mechanism of Injury

• IDENTIFY CHIEF COMPLAINT/INJURIES– An elaboration of the chief complaint


PRESENTING INFORMATION• PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

– Pulse– Respirations– Blood Pressure– Pupils– Skin– Neurological Condition– Vascular Signs– Pertinent findings in order from head to toe



• PAST Medical History– Pertinent medical history– Allergies– Medications

• PROTOCOL TREATMENT– Treatment given prior to transmission– Confirmation of treatment ordered



• CHANGE IN PT. CONDITION

• PHYSICIAN

• DESTINATION– Signal, code, ETA


MULTIPLE PATIENTS

• Number each patient

• Present complete information on each patient before continuing to next

• Present most serious to least serious


USING A TRANSMITTER/ RECEIVER

• Know what you are going to say before you start talking. Do not waste air time

• Never transmit without monitoring the frequency first

• Wait two seconds after keying the microphone before talking



• Identify yourself on every transmission

• Speak at close range, directly into the microphone

• Do not yell, use normal conversational tone and speed



• Articulate clearly

• Use proper English

• Avoid using codes



• Be courteous

• Don’t show emotion; don’t curse or use obscene language

• Do not vocalize pauses

• Do not unkey your microphone until you have finished talking


INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

• Make and keep eye contact

• Be Confident– Confidence in yourself will inspire trust from

the Pt.



• Be Respectful– Use proper names unless told otherwise– Do not speak condescendingly

• “Hon”

• “Darling”

– Be conscious of cultural differences



• Be Courteous– Please– Thank you– Yes Ma’am/Sir– No Ma’am/Sir

• Be Truthful



• Use terms that the pt/Family will understand

• Be careful of what you say about the Pt and where you say it

• Be aware of your body language



• Speak slowly/enunciate

• Allow time for the Pt to answer questions


SPECIAL PATIENTS

• Non-English speaking– Use Interpreter– Do not attempt language if unsure– Use Flash Cards


SPECIAL PATIENTS

• Hearing Impaired– Use Interpreter– Face Pt. when speaking

• Allows them to see your lips

• Allows them to see your facial expression


SPECIAL PATIENTS

• Children– Get on their “level”– Approach slowly– Avoid threatening postures– Explain everything that you do


SPECIAL PATIENTS

• Children– Don’t lie– Respect a child’s modesty– Use parents to calm child (If parent is calm)– Let Parent hold child if not contraindicated– Allow child to keep familiar objects


SPECIAL PATIENTS

• Elderly– Use last names of older patients until told

otherwise– Don’t use slang– Don’t assume senility/deafness/infirmities– Be aware of cultural differences– Don’t rush Pt– Attend to family

Documents

Temple College EMS Professions1 COMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN - BASIC