Ability Of a Diabetic Problems Protocol to Predict Patient Severity Indicators Determined by On-Scene EMS Crews
Jeff J. Clawson, MD, Greg Scott, MBA, EMD-QI, Isabel Gardett, PhD, Brett Patterson, Tracey Barron, BS, Christopher Olola, PhD
Aug 05, 2013|AEDR 2013 Vol. 1 Issue 2|Original Research
Diabetes mellitus is a leading cause of human disease, with 25.8 million Americans affected. It is estimated that 7 million (27%) of these patients are still formally undiagnosed. Diabetes can cause chronic or sudden signs and symptoms, which often result in observers calling 911 for assistance. The Emergency Dispatcher's interpretation of these calls affects dispatch triage and pre-arrival patient care. To determine the relationship between the EMDs' assigned Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) determinant codes and patient severity indicators as determined by paramedic (or EMT) on-scene...