Temple College EMS Professions 1
COMMUNICATIONS
EMERGENCY MEDICAL TECHNICIAN - BASIC
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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
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• DISPATCH– Alert personnel and direct to scene– Radio paging, telephone, radio voice
communications
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN DISPATCH AND EMS UNIT– En route– On-scene– Departure from scene– Arrival at receiving facility– In-service
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• 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
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN EMS UNIT AND HOSPITAL/PHYSICIAN– Early alert of hospital to incoming patients– On-line medical direction– Diversion to specialized health care facilities
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN HOSPITALS– Direct link for medical resources and patient
transfers– Back-up communications link
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• COMMUNICATIONS WITH SUPPORT AGENCIES– Through dispatch centers– Directly between field units
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PHASES IN EMS COMMUNICATIONS
• COORDINATION WITH OTHER COMMUNICATION NETWORKS– Amateur radio– Citizen’s band– Commercial broadcast– Business radio
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EMS Communications & the FCC
• Control all radio communications
• Allocate specific radio frequencies for use by EMS providers
• License base stations and assign call signs
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EMS Communications & the FCC
• Establish licensing standards and operating specifications
• Establish limits for transmitter power output
• Monitor radio operations
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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
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EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS
• 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
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EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS
• 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
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EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS
• 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
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EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS
• 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
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EMS COMMUNICATIONS COMPONENTS
• 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
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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
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TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
• 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
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TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
• 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
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TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
• 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
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TRANSMITTING INFORMATION
• 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!
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PRESENTING INFORMATION
• IDENTIFY YOURSELF– Identify service, unit number, personnel I.D.
number
• IDENTIFY PATIENT– Age, sex, and weight (no names)
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PRESENTING INFORMATION
• IDENTIFY SITUATION– Causes– Mechanism of Injury
• IDENTIFY CHIEF COMPLAINT/INJURIES– An elaboration of the chief complaint
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PRESENTING INFORMATION• PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
– Pulse– Respirations– Blood Pressure– Pupils– Skin– Neurological Condition– Vascular Signs– Pertinent findings in order from head to toe
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PRESENTING INFORMATION
• PAST Medical History– Pertinent medical history– Allergies– Medications
• PROTOCOL TREATMENT– Treatment given prior to transmission– Confirmation of treatment ordered
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PRESENTING INFORMATION
• CHANGE IN PT. CONDITION
• PHYSICIAN
• DESTINATION– Signal, code, ETA
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MULTIPLE PATIENTS
• Number each patient
• Present complete information on each patient before continuing to next
• Present most serious to least serious
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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
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USING A TRANSMITTER/ RECEIVER
• Identify yourself on every transmission
• Speak at close range, directly into the microphone
• Do not yell, use normal conversational tone and speed
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USING A TRANSMITTER/ RECEIVER
• Articulate clearly
• Use proper English
• Avoid using codes
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USING A TRANSMITTER/ RECEIVER
• 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
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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• Make and keep eye contact
• Be Confident– Confidence in yourself will inspire trust from
the Pt.
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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• Be Respectful– Use proper names unless told otherwise– Do not speak condescendingly
• “Hon”
• “Darling”
– Be conscious of cultural differences
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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• Be Courteous– Please– Thank you– Yes Ma’am/Sir– No Ma’am/Sir
• Be Truthful
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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• 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
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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
• Speak slowly/enunciate
• Allow time for the Pt to answer questions
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SPECIAL PATIENTS
• Non-English speaking– Use Interpreter– Do not attempt language if unsure– Use Flash Cards
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SPECIAL PATIENTS
• Hearing Impaired– Use Interpreter– Face Pt. when speaking
• Allows them to see your lips
• Allows them to see your facial expression
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SPECIAL PATIENTS
• Children– Get on their “level”– Approach slowly– Avoid threatening postures– Explain everything that you do
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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
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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