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Dispatcher Triage Accuracy in the Western Cape Government Emergency Medical Services System, Cape Town, South Africa.

Mohammed F AlshehriJennifer Lee PigogaLee A Wallis
Published in: Prehospital and disaster medicine (2020)
This study provides the first evaluation of dispatch triage accuracy in the WCG EMS system, identifying that the system is suffering from both under- and over-triage. Despite variance across dispatch complaints, both under- and over-triage remained higher than widely accepted norms, and all rates were significantly above acceptable target metrics described in similar studies. Results of this study will be used to motivate the development of more rigorous training programs and resources for WCG EMS dispatchers, including improved dispatch protocols for conditions suffering from high over- and under-triage.
Keyphrases
  • south africa
  • emergency medical
  • emergency department
  • hiv positive
  • healthcare
  • cardiac arrest