The Revised Telephonic Triage of New Jersey and Conventional Method of Triage by Emergency Medical Dispatchers of Qom Emergency Medical Services, Iran, in 2012: A Comparative Investigation

Abstract

Background: The demand for medical emergencies often begins with a call to a dispatch center. Appropriate performance of this unit significantly influences providing effective services. Objectives: The current study aimed to compare the effect of using telephone triage manual revised by New Jersey and the conventional methods on accuracy of triage done by 115 emergency medical dispatchers of Qom, Iran, in 2012. Methods: This quasi-experimental study aimed to compare the effects of two conventional and New Jersey revised methods on performance of emergency medical dispatchers of Qom. Conventional (September and October) and New Jersey data (December and January) were extracted and compared. November was skipped due to emergency medical dispatcher familiarity with the program. Results: Performing the new method non-significantly changed the response time (P = 0.053) and communication skill (P = 0.053). Scientific and medical skills (P = 0.000) were significantly changed. Overall performance significantly improved (P = 0.000). Conclusions:The revised New Jersey method significantly increased appropriate overall performance of the communication experts and decreased their dysfunction.