communiications

Therapeutic communication

used to establish positive relationship with patients and adjust to those with special needs

Base station

dispatch and coordination area

in contact with all other elements of a system

ideally in suitable terrain (hill) in proximity to hospital serving as med serving center

power output = 80-150 watts

Radio systems and equipment types

land mobile radio systems: specialized radio systems used for dispatch, vehicle to vehicle, and medical facility communications

mobile radios (transmitters/ receivers): vehicle mounted devices used to communicate with ems systems; 20-50 watts; 10-15 miles

portable radios (transmitter/ receivers): handheld devices useful when outside of a vehicle or in patient compartment, low power output (1-5 watts)

Signal boosting and digital system components

repeaters: receive low power transmissions and rebroadcast them at another frequency and higher power to cover wide areas

encoder: breaks down sound waves into unique digital codes

decoders: recognizes and responds to specific digital codes

mobile data terminal: dashboard mounted screen receiving signals from dispatch, displaying scene info and reducing voice radio traffic

Cellular network structure

overlapping geographical cells with base stations that automatically hand off a moving phone signal

share public network and can be easily overwhelmed

Telemetry

wireless transmission of data (vital signs, 12 lead ECGs) from the scene or ambulance directly to the hospital

Telemedicine

using video/ digital tech to connect an EMT with a remote healthcare provider for interactive patient assessment and triage

Land mobile satellite communications

specialized satellite radio setups used as alts for ems communications in remote, sparsely dispersed areas

Federal communications commission (FDC)

gov body that licenses base stations, assigns radio frequencies, and monitors for rules violations or profanity

Radio communication ground rules

press to talk (PTT) protocol = push button and wait 1 second before speaking

mic distance 2-3 inches from mouth

speak clearly etc

max length for unbroken radio transmission = 30 secs, if longer pause for a few secs to allow other emergency traffic to use the frequency

clarify numbers: state number, then individual digits

echo method

plain english

Standardized communication terms

break = pause so hospital can respond or interrupt if necessary

clear = end of transmission

in = requesting acknowledgment of transmission

copy = messaged received and understood

eta = estimated time of arrival

go ahead = proceed with ur message

stand by = please wait

SBAR

situation: who u are, patient demographics, and chief complaint

background: med hist, timeline, and treatments alr given on scene

assessment: current vs and physical exam findings

recommendation: what treatment or med requesting to administer

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