Integration of Centralized Communications Systems Into Practice
Establishment of an emergency communications center might represent a significant change in procedure for referring providers and MCPs. Educating the principal parties involved will hasten acceptance and promote cooperation among services.
For example, a referring provider might believe that directly contacting the potential accepting physician will result in the most expedient transport, when in fact the dispatch center might be able to simultaneously facilitate mobilization and contact with the appropriate physician so the transport team can be en route before the intake conversation is completed. For referring providers not familiar with the institution, a “one call does it all” approach can prevent the caller from being routed to multiple people when making an emergency referral. Ideally, a transport program will have a policy in which the transport team can be dispatched before formal physician acceptance. Because there invariably is time during travel to the referring institution, bed assignment and notification of the receiving clinical team can be accomplished while the transport team is responding. A unit-based program may be concerned about yielding control of its communications with referring providers. Demonstration of the decrease in administrative time spent by busy clinical personnel involved with a transport is usually a persuasive argument in favor of a centralized dispatch center.Finally, an emergency dispatch center should perform self-evaluation by surveying its “customers” to ensure that referring providers and receiving staff are satisfied with the ability to refer patients, including ease of initial call through transfer of patient responsibility to the transport team. Because the dispatch center represents an institutional expense and is not a direct source of revenue, hospital leaders must be provided data demonstrating the unmeasured value of well-coordinated communications and improved satisfaction of referring physicians.