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Response codes

The Description of Hierarchy Bias Concept in Emergency Dispatch Coding and its Implications for Accuracy in Response and Outcome-based Studies

Jeff J. Clawson, MD, Rich Saalsaa, Christopher Olola, PhD, Jerry Overton

Aug 01, 2015|AEDR 2015 Vol. 3 Issue 2|Concept Papers

The value of dispatch in modern Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems cannot be understated. Among many other roles, an Emergency Medical Dispatcher (EMD) is responsible for accurate response selection. Response is based on EMD-assigned dispatch codes upon completion of caller-interrogation questions in a dispatch protocol system. When two or more signs, symptoms, or situational conditions are encountered in a calltaker evaluation, but are assigned and reported as a single, dispatch-defined code descriptor during the call-taking process by an EMD, a data hiding...

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