Background: In medical events, patients have to independently decide whom to contact: emergency medical services, medical on-call service or emergency department.
Objectives: Are Germans able to assess the urgency of medical events and choose the correct resource?
Materials And Methods: In 2018 a nationwide anonymous telephone survey was done in Gabler-Haeder design. In all, 708 interviewees were presented with six medical scenarios. Participants were asked to rate urgency and to assess whether medical help was necessary within minutes to hours. Telephone numbers of emergency medical services and medical on-call service were inquired.
Results: Urgency of different scenarios was often misjudged: in cases with high, medium, and low urgency the misjudgement rate were 20, 50, and 27%, respectively. If medical help was rated as necessary, some participants chose the wrong service: 25% would not call an ambulance in stroke or myocardial infarction. In cases with medium urgency, more respondents chose to consult an emergency department (38%) than to call medical on-call service (46%).
Conclusions: Knowledge regarding different options for treatment of medical events and competence to assess urgency seem to be too low. Beside efforts to increase health literacy, one solution might be to introduce a joint telephone number for emergency medical services and medical on-call service with a uniform assessment tool and appropriate allocation.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00063-021-00820-5 | DOI Listing |
Cureus
November 2024
Department of Undergraduate Education, Royal Blackburn Hospital, Blackburn, GBR.
Introduction Transitioning from a medical student to a foundation doctor presents numerous challenges, particularly in managing on-call duties that require quick decision-making, clinical skills, and prioritisation under pressure. The Simulation On-Call (SOC) program was developed as a one-day, immersive simulation event to equip final-year medical students with the skills and confidence needed for these responsibilities. Methods The SOC program is an annual event held for final-year medical students at the Royal Blackburn Hospital, Blackburn, UK.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBr J Oral Maxillofac Surg
November 2024
Regional OMFS Unit, Aintree Hospital, Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool L9 7AL United Kingdom. Electronic address:
In the UK Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) and Oral Surgery (OS) are distinct specialties governed respectively by the General Medical Council (GMC) and General Dental Council (GDC) respectively. There has always been overlap of training and care between both specialties. The OMFS curriculum was updated in 2021 and the Oral Surgery Curriculum in 2023.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Commun Healthc
December 2024
Department of Health Systems Management, College of Jezreel Valley, Tel Adashim, Israel.
Background: Being inherently service oriented, healthcare organizations emphasize patient-centered care and service quality. However, unwarranted disruptions during patient-doctor interactions can negatively impact perceptions of service quality. Integrating digital technologies such as smartphones into patient-doctor interactions might affect perceived (as well as actual) service quality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Psychosom Res
December 2024
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Tokyo Woman's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Objective: It remains unclear whether general hospitals without psychiatric wards can provide sufficient services for both physical and mental health needs, as they often lack adequate psychiatrists, primarily due to cost constraints. This article explores the relationship between the number of full-time psychiatrists and functionality for integrating physical and mental health services in these settings.
Methods: The Medical Policy Committee of the Japanese Society of General Hospital Psychiatry conducted a nationwide survey in 2022 to evaluate the detailed scope and volume of service of psychiatric departments in general hospitals without a psychiatric ward.
Anesthesiology
January 2025
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York. or
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