Preparation and Training for the Ambulance Patient Offload Time in EMS Systems

The arrival of an EMS-transported patient to the hospital implies that a transfer of the patient from the transporting vehicle into the ED must take place. This ambulance patient offload time (APOT) requires the physical movement of patients who reflect the spectrum of emergency medical conditions. Considerations during the APOT include: The length of time from exiting the ambulance until patients are in physical attendance by receiving medical team members that are aware of the clinical condition of the patient and are actively managing it; The criticality of the patient’s condition; The equipment that must optimally accompany the patient during the APOT; Treatments that must continue during the APOT; and The ongoing evaluation of the patient during the APOT by the transporting staff. Our study sought to evaluate the literature and gauge EMS medical direction concern regarding the hazards presented by the APOT, as well as to propose best practices for reducing patient risk during this period. Methods We conducted a literature search regarding the APOT. PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE were utilized as search tools. Search terms included: ambulance transition, ambulance offload, EMS offload, ambulance delivery interval, and EMS delivery interval. Reference lists were then screened for relevant literature. Articles were reviewed if their authors studied the APOT, including studies with variations on the APOT parameters and time intervals. A series of questions was then distributed ...
Source: JEMS Operations - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Exclusive Articles Operations Top Story Source Type: news