The Effect of Applying Global Positioning System in Ambulances on Response Time of Tehran Emergency Medical Service
Background: Identification of the effective factors in reducing response time in prehospital emergency medical service (EMS) can assist in improving its services. This study aimed at reviewing the effect of applying global positioning system (GPS) on response time of Tehran EMS ambulances. Mater...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Negah Institute for Scientific Communication
2016-04-01
|
| Series: | Health in Emergencies & Disasters Quarterly |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://hdq.uswr.ac.ir/browse.php?a_id=105&sid=1&slc_lang=en |
| Summary: | Background: Identification of the effective factors in reducing response time in prehospital
emergency medical service (EMS) can assist in improving its services. This study aimed at
reviewing the effect of applying global positioning system (GPS) on response time of Tehran
EMS ambulances.
Materials and Methods: Of 132 Tehran EMS stations, 24 ones were randomly selected,
and relevant data, including the response time of all missions in 2009 (without GPS) and in
2011 (with GPS) as well as number of daily calls to each dispatch center were extracted. The
average number of daily calls in the call centers were categorized into 3 groups as follows: I)
≤10 calls, II) 10 to 15 calls, and III) >15 calls. The statistical analysis of the obtained data was
carried out by paired t test.
Results: The findings revealed that the average response times in 2009 for the 3 groups (I, II,
and III) were 10.11, 11.25, and 10.92 minutes, respectively. These times recorded for groups (I,
II, and III) in 2011 were 9.86, 10.71, and 11.58 minutes, respectively, which were significantly
less than the response times recorded in 2009 (P<0.001).
Conclusion: This research has demonstrated that the application of GPS in the ambulances
may be essential in the reduction of response time, especially in emergency stations with more
average mission numbers. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2345-4210 2345-4210 |