It’s time to talk to emergency medical dispatchers: survey study on performance feedback and patient outcome follow-up to EMDs

Performance feedback and patient outcome follow-up are essential in emergency medical services. Prior literature has assessed the importance of feedback/follow-up on paramedics and emergency medical technicians, however there is a paucity of literature specific to emergency medical dispatchers (EMD). Our objective was to measure the frequency, satisfaction with, and importance of feedback/follow-up received by EMDs. Anonymous electronic survey study of United States (US)-based (approximately 60,000) members of the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED). Definitions of performance feedback and outcome follow-up were provided. Survey questions regarding frequency of feedback, satisfaction with feedback, and importance of feedback were scored on a 4-point Likert scale and were summarized with frequency counts and percentages. A total of 256 responses were received from 13,723 members who opened the email invitation, although not all are US-based. Respondents were predominantly female (n = 163, 63.7%), white (n = 224, 87.5%) and had been a dispatcher for ≥ 10 years (n = 158, 61.7%). Nearly half (n = 119, 46.5%) indicated receiving no performance feedback in the prior 30 days and 77.7% (n = 199) indicated no patient outcome follow-up in the same time period. EMDs were dissatisfied more with the quantity (n = 189, 73.8%) and quality (n = 174, 68.0%) of follow-up, compared to the quantity (n = 102, 39.8%) and quality (n = 102, 39.8%) of feedback they receive. Respondents indicated receiving feedback was important in terms of overall job satisfaction (n = 222, 86.7%), ongoing medical education (n = 222, 86.7%), future patient care (n = 215, 84.0%), and mental health and wellbeing (n = 200, 78.1%). Follow-up was important in terms of overall job satisfaction (n = 208, 81.3%), mental health and wellbeing (n = 201, 78.5%), ongoing medical education (n = 193, 75.4%), and future patient care (n = 187, 73.0%). Survey respondents indicated a paucity of both performance feedback and outcome follow-up and that there is more dissatisfaction with lack of the latter rather than the former. These findings suggest system-wide opportunities to improve communication to EMDs on performance and patient outcomes. Not applicable.