Ambulance Response Time at Three Selected Tertiary Hospitals In Malaysia: Performance of Hospital-Based Ambulance Equipped With Computerized Call Centre System

Nik Him Nik Ahmad Shaiffudin; Hussin K.; Hassan M.R.; Hamzah M.L.; Fadzli A.; Nik Mohamad N.A.

Nik Him Nik Ahmad Shaiffudin Emergency Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, UniSZA http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2948-833X
Hussin K. Bahagian Perkembangan Perubatan, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, Kompleks E, Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan 62590 Putrajaya
Hassan M.R. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia
Hamzah M.L. Jabatan Kecemasan dan Trauma, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, 20400 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu Darul Iman, Malaysia
Fadzli A. Centre for research in Addiction, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Terengganu, Malaysia
Nik Mohamad N.A. Centre for research in Addiction, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Gong Badak Campus, 21300 Terengganu, Malaysia

Abstract

Abstract

Introduction. The importance of rapid ambulance response to emergency medical crises is undeniable and early access to advanced care is a crucial to safe life. Modern computerized call centre and the hospital based ambulance are believed to enhance the quality of service delivery. However, whether it will further reduce the response time is debatable.

Methodology. A cross-sectional study was conducted in June 2012 until July 2012 at three selected tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. The aims were to determine and compare the association of response time in the hospital based ambulance and community-based ambulance and hospital with computerized call centre system and the call centre using voice only respectively. The ambulance response time was expressed in a median and interquartile range (IQR) and Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine the associations between types of ambulance and computerized call centre system versus voice only. Wilcoxon Rank Sign Test was used to assess the significance of means difference.

Result. A hospital-based ambulance had the median of 0.19 minutes while community-based ambulance had the median of 0.20 minutes (The Z score - 0.916, P value - 0.360). The hospital with computer call centre had the median of 0.19 minutes while hospital without computer call centre had the median of 0.20 minutes (The Z score - 0.816, P value - 0.414).

Conclusions. The response time of hospital-based ambulance equipped with computerized call center system is comparable in three selected tertiary hospitals in Malaysia.

Keywords: Ambulance response time; Hospital-based ambulance; computerised call centre.

Author Biography

Nik Him Nik Ahmad Shaiffudin, Emergency Medicine Unit, Faculty of Medicine, UniSZA

Director

University Hospital Development Centre

References

Serpil A., Arif C.A., & M. Zeki. C. 2011. Determining Optimum Ambulance Locations For Heart Attack Cases With GIS Esri International User Conference

Blackwell, T.H., Kaufman, J.S. 2001. Response Time Effectiveness: Comparison of Response Time and Survival in an Urban Emergency Medical Services System, Academic Emergency Management, 9: 288-295

Cummins RO, Ornato JP, Thies WH, Pepe PE. Improving survival from sudden cardiac arrest: the 'chain of survival' concept. A statement for health professionals from the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Subcommittee and the Emergency Cardiac Care Committee, American Heart Association. Circulation 1991; 83:1832-1847

B. C. Meyer, R. Raman, T. Hemmen, R. Ober, J. A. Zivin, R. Rao, R. G. Thomas, and P. D. Lyden, "Efﬁcacy of site-independent telemedicine in the STRokE DOC trial: a randomized, blinded, prospective study," Lancet Neurology, vol. 7, no. 9, pp. 787–795, 2008.

V. N. Dhruva, S. I. Abdelhadi, A. Anis, W. Gluckman, D. Hom, W. Dougan, E. Kaluski, B. Haider, and M. Klapholz, “ST-Segment Analysis Using Wireless Technology in Acute Myocardial Infarction (STAT-MI) Trial,” Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 509–513, 2007.

S. Bergrath, A. Reich, R. Rossaint, D. R¨ortgen, J. Gerber, H. Fischermann, S. K. Beckers, J. C. Brockmann, J. B. Schulz, C. Leber, C. Fitzner, and M. Skorning, "Feasibility of Prehospital Teleconsultation in Acute Stroke – A Pilot Study in Clinical Routine," PloS one, vol. 7, no. 5, p. e36796, 2012.

O. Amft and P. Lukowicz, “From Backpacks to Smartphones: Past, Present, and Future of Wearable Computers,” IEEE Pervasive Computing, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 8–13, 2009.

S. Pavlopoulos, E. Kyriacou, A. Berler, S. Dembeyiotis, and D. Koutsouris, "A novel emergency telemedicine system based on wireless communication technology - AMBULANCE," IEEE Transactions on Information Technology in Biomedicine, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 261–267, 1998.

E. Kyriacou, S. Pavlopoulos, A. Berler, M. Neophytou, A. Bourka, A. Georgoulas, A. Anagnostaki, D. Karayiannis, C. Schizas, C. Pattichis, A. Andreou, and D. Koutsouris. “Multi-purpose Health Care Telemedicine Systems with mobile communication link support," BioMedical Engineering OnLine, vol. 2, no. 1, p. 7, 2003.

Mark Gynour, Dan Myung, Raj Patel and Steve Moulton Human-Computer Interaction In Pre Hospital Settings. Proceedings of the 40th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences - 2007

Cordell WH, Michael L, Olinger PAK, Allen WN. Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care? Annals of Emergency Medicine. Volume 23, Issue 5, Pages 1032–1036, May 1994

Seow. E., & Lim. E. 1993. Ambulance Response Time to Emergency Departments. Singapore Medicine Journal 34 : 530 - 532.

Mohd Shaharudin Shah, C.H., Rashidi A., & Nik Hisamuddin, N.A.R. 2005. Ambulance Services at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and Hospital Kota Bharu: A Retrospective Study of Calls. Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 12 (2): 34 - 42.

Folkestad. E.H., Gilbert. M., & Steen-Hansen J.E. 2004. Urgent calls-pre hospital response time in Vestfold and Troms in 2001. TidsskrNorLaegeforen. 124(8) : 11- 43

Law T.H., Radin Umar R.S., and Wong S.V., The Malaysian Government‟s Road Accident Death Reduction, International Association of Traffic and Safety Science Research, 29(1), 2005, pp. 42- 49.

Anisah A., Chew K.S., Shaharuddin Shah C.H., and Hisamuddin N.A., Patients Perception of the Ambulance Services at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Singapore Medical Journal, 49(2), 2008, pp. 631-635.

Hisamuddin N.A., Hamzah M. S., Holliman J. S., Prehospital Emergency Medical Services in Malaysia, The Journal of Emergency Medicine, 32(4), 2007, pp. 415-421.

Mustaffa, A.A. and Hokoa K., Public Satisfaction of the Emergency Response Systems in Road Accidents: Case Study in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, International Journal on City Planning, Korea Planner Associate, 2011, pp. 293-302.

Saibon I., Eng H.S., Krishnan B., Siti Nooraini A., Murad N., Pathnathan A., and Choy C.Y., A Study of Patients Satisfaction with the Emergency Department of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM), Med. and Health J., 3(1), 2008, pp. 7-13.

Mohd Shaharuddin C.H., Mohd Ismail I., and Syed Mohsin S.S., Ambulance Response Time and Emergency Medical Dispatcher Program: A Study in Kelantan, Malaysia, Southeast Asia J. Trop. Med. Public Health, 39(6), 2008, pp. 1150- 1154.

Ani M.S, Fakrul Razi A., and Daud M., Evolution of Emergency Management In Malaysia, Journal of Contingencies and Crisis Management, 9(1), 2001, pp. 46-53.