Emergency nursing staff dispatch: sensitivity and specificity in detecting prehospital need for physician interventions during ambulance transport in Rovigo Emergency Ambulance Service, Italy.

Introduction: In Italy, administration of medications or advanced procedures dictates the prehospital presence of a physician to initiate treatment. Nursing staff is often used as dispatchers in Italian emergency medical ambulance services. There is little data about nursing dispatch performance in detecting high-acuity patients who need prehospital medications and procedures.