Method and system for the entry protocol of an emergency medical dispatch system

• US 6,106,459 A
• Filed: 03/28/1997
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey J. Clawson
• Inventors: Clawson, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacyk, John P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILBERT, SAMUEL G
• Application Number:
  US08/828,411
• Time in Patent Office: 1,243 Days
• Field of Search: 600/300, 600/301, 128/897, 128/898, 128/903, 128/904, 128/905
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A method and system for receiving, processing and responding to emergency medical calls by emergency dispatchers is described. A consistent, standard and systematic process is provided which in combination with adequate training, supervision and quality assurance serves to provide a method for gathering emergency medical information, categorizing such information into various determinant levels for appropriate response, and for giving qualified emergency medical information to callers thereby permitting "zero-time" response by those at the scene. By using this invention properly a dispatcher is guided through the interrogation of callers, gathering the critical information, dispatching the appropriate mobile care rapidly when needed and giving the appropriate guidance to the caller. This invention specifically guides the dispatcher through the universal entry protocol, thereby identifying the most urgent emergencies.

Claims

1. A method for managing the entry process of an emergency medical dispatch system, for dispatching medical assistance to persons needing such medical assistance, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving a medical call on a telephone communication device regarding a patient needing medical assistance;

(B) receiving a description of a problem giving rise to a call for medical assistance;

(C) receiving an age number for the person needing medical assistance;

(D) determining if the person needing medical assistance is conscious and determining if the person needing assistance is breathing;

(E) selecting an appropriate response, wherein such response depends on said described problem, said received age, said determination of consciousness and said determination of breathing

(F) dispatching medical assistance to the person needing assistance based upon said selected appropriate response.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(e) receiving the location of the incident giving rise to said described problem.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

(f) receiving the sex of the person needing such medical assistance.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of determining if the person needing assistance is conscious and determining if the person needing assistance is breathing further comprises:

(i) asking whether the person appears conscious;

(ii) asking if the person appears to be breathing; and

(iii) sending a maximum medical response if the person is not certainly breathing, wherein said maximum medical response is responded to by one or more of the group consisting of emergency medical technicians, ambulance and paramedics, who proceed under the most urgent available method.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step of receiving a description of a problem further comprises:

(i) asking for a detailed description of the medical problem;

(ii) if said problem involves a traffic accident, inquiring as to the number of people injured and selecting a traffic accident protocol for further inquiries; and

(iii) if said problem does not involve a traffic accident, inquiring as to the number of people injured.

6. A system for managing the entry process of an emergency medical dispatch system, for dispatching medical assistance to persons needing such medical assistance, the system comprising:

(A) a telephone communication device for receiving a description of a medical problem, wherein such problem led to a call for medical assistance;

(B) a means for receiving the age of the person needing medical assistance;

(C) a means for identifying the state of consciousness and the state of breathing of the person needing medical assistance;

(D) a means for identifying the appropriate medical response to be given based on the description received from said first receiver, the age received from said second receiver, and the identifications made by said determiner

(E) a means for dispatching medical assistance to the person needing medical assistance.

7. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein said communication device further comprises a means for receiving and processing information concerning the medical problem which led to the call for medical assistance.

8. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for receiving the age of the person needing medical assistance further comprises a means for receiving and processing the age information of the person needing medical assistance.

9. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for identifying the state of consciousness and the state of breathing of the person needing medical assistance further comprises a means for determining the consciousness status and breathing status of the person needing medical assistance and for dispatching emergency medical assistance if based upon said consciousness status and breathing status.

10. A system as recited in claim 6 wherein said means for identifying the appropriate medical response to be given based on the description received from said first receiver, the age received from said second receiver, and the identifications made by said determiner further comprises using the age of the person needing medical assistance in choosing the appropriate medical response to said described problem.

11. A method for managing the process for responding to an emergency medical call relating to a the entry process of a patient in a general purpose 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,

for managing the entry process for an emergency medical dispatching system the method comprising the steps of;

(A) selecting a type of medical problem;

(B) inputting the age of the person having said medical problem;

(C) inputting the consciousness status of the person having said medical problem;

(D) inputting the breathing status of the person having said medical problem;

(E) determining by communication over a telephone communication device whether the person having said medical problem has a breathing status of "NOT BREATHING" and if said breathing status in "NOT BREATHING" sending a maximum response dispatch; and

selecting the appropriate medical response for said selected type of medical problem, said inputted age, said inputted age, said inputted state of consciousness and said inputted state of breathing of the person having said medical problem.

12. In a general purpose computer system, a method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of determining whether the person having said medical problem has a breathing status of "NOT BREATHING" further comprises determining whether the caller is uncertain if the person having said medical problem is breathing for evaluation concerning the breathing status of the person having said medical problem.

13. In a general purpose computer system, a method as recited in claim 11 wherein said step of selecting the type of medical problem further comprises the step of determining whether the described medical problem was the result of a traffic accident.

14. In a general purpose computer system, a method as recited in claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

(g) determining the number of people needing medical assistance; and

(h) determining the sex of the person needing medical assistance.