Audiovisual Consultations in Prehospital Emergency Care: Randomised Controlled Trial

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Emergency Medical Service; Telemedicine
• Interventions: Device: Mandatory phone call consultation; Device: Mandatory audiovisual consultation

• Registration Number: NCT04312321
• Lead Sponsor: Zdravotnicka Zachranna Sluzba Karlovarskeho Kraje, P.O.

Brief Summary

This study investigates safety and efficacy of the use of audiovisual consultations of emergency medical service (EMS) doctor by paramedics for low urgency events in areas covered with paramedic crews only from emergency medical service stations with distant access to hospital.

Detailed Description

The study will be realized on Karlovy Vary EMS areas covered with paramedic crews only from emergency medical service stations with distant access to hospital. Each call on emergency line during 6 weeks study period will be assessed for eligibility. If deemed as low urgency, the event will be randomised into 3 groups. CONTROL group: routine operation of paramedic crew with optional consultation with a doctor over the phone. In the PHONE group and in the VIDEO group, there will be a mandatory consultation of a doctor over the phone or by audiovisual constultation, respectively. The primary outcome of the study is the percent of patients treated on site without the need of hospital transfer. The secondary safety outcome is to evaluate repeated ambulance trips within 48 hours after the patient had been treated at home. Moreover, a qualitative analysis of subjective perception of the event by the patients, paramedic and consulting doctor using the Likert scales will be performed by survey at the end or immediately after the event.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-10-17
• Primary Completion: 2019-11-30
• Study First Submitted: 2020-01-29
• Status Verified: 2020-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-03-14
• Study Completion: 2020-03-15
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-03-17
• Study First Posted: 2020-03-18
• Last Update Posted: 2020-03-20

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 600

Inclusion Criteria

Not provided

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
PHONE	Mandatory phone call consultation	In the PHONE group, there will be a mandatory consultation of a doctor over the phone in all low urgency cases.
VIDEO	Mandatory audiovisual consultation	In the VIDEO group, there will be a mandatory consultation of a doctor over the audiovisual consultation in low urgency cases

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Non-transport of low urgency EMS case to hospital	until 200 cases per group are collected, estimated time 6-8 weeks from the beginning of the study	Based on Karlovy Vary EMS audit data, there is 10% of low urgency cases treated and left on site by paramedics so far. So the primary outcome is to evaluate the rate of non-transports in common daily routine, when the doctor provides phone call consultation on request of paramedics (based on Karlovy Vary EMS protocol) to mandatory phone call consultation and audiovisual consultation with a EMS doctor. Therefore, the primary objective is to evaluate potential benefit audiovisual consultation with EMS doctor on the rate of patients left at home after treatment on site by paramedics.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
The rate of repeated trips within 48 hours after the patient had been treated at home.	until 200 cases per group are collected, estimated time 6-8 weeks from the beginning of the study	The co-primary safety outcome was repeated EMS trip within 48 hours after the patient had been treated at home. This outcome can confirm and compare the safety among study groups.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Zdravotnická záchranná služba Karlovarského kraje, p.o.; 🇨🇿 Karlovy Vary, Karlovarský Kraj, Czechia