Method and system for evaluating the performance of emergency medical dispatchers

• US 6,078,894 A
• Filed: 03/28/1997
• Issued: 06/20/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson, Richard Saalsaa
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson, Richard Saalsaa
• Inventors: Saalsaa, Richard, Clawson, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tkacs, Stephen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alvarez, Raquel
• Application Number:
  US08/832,612
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/11, 705/7, 436/510, 379/45, 364/468.15
• US Class Current: 705/7.42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms

Abstract

A method and system for evaluating the performance of emergency medical dispatchers in adhering to a provided systematic procedure or protocol for handling emergency medical calls is described. This invention provides a systematic, objective, approach to grading the dispatcher'"'"'s response and thereby providing for continuous quality assurance and improvement of the dispatcher'"'"'s skills. In its preferred embodiment, this invention is performed in computer software which enhanced the evaluation process by working in association with a computerized emergency medical dispatch protocol to accumulate data and efficiently grade the performance of the dispatcher.

Claims

1. A method for grading a medical dispatcher'"'"'s performance in adhering to a provided protocol, using a computer system comprising:

a central processing unit;

dynamic memory,

static memory,

a display device,

an input device,

an output device,

a mass storage device which contains

a number of emergency medical instruction records,

a number of medical information records,

a grouping of determinant codes,

a number of emergency medical inquiry reports, the method comprising the steps of;

(A) receiving an inquiry from an emergency medical caller;

(B) processing said received inquiry by a dispatcher;

(C) selecting said processed inquiry for review;

(D) reviewing said processed inquiry for compliance with the systematic protocol;

(E) scoring said processed inquiry to establish a method of ranking and comparing said reviewed processed inquiry;

(F) preparing reports of said scored processed inquiry; and

(G) educating the dispatcher to improve performance in the future based on said prepared reports.