Citation

Penn C, Koole T, Nattrass R. J. Health Psychol. 2016; 22(10): 1256-1264.

Affiliation

University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1359105315625357

PMID

26865540

Abstract

The opening sequence of an emergency call influences the efficiency of the ambulance dispatch time. The greeting sequences in 105 calls to a South African emergency service were analysed. Initial results suggested the advantage of a specific two-part opening sequence. An on-site experiment aimed at improving call efficiency was conducted during one shift (1100 calls).

RESULTS indicated reduced conversational repairs and a significant reduction of 4 seconds in mean call length. Implications for systems and training are derived.

Language: en