Update tele-emergency medicine : Status quo and perspectives

Abstract

Increasing numbers of rescue missions in recent years have led to agrowing staff shortage of paramedics as well as physicians in the emergency medical system (EMS) with an urgent need for optimized usage of resources. One option is the implementation of atele-EMS physician system, which has been established in the EMS of the City of Aachen since 2014. In addition to pilot projects, political decisions lead to the introduction of tele-emergency medicine. The expansion is currently progressing in various federal states, and acomprehensive introduction has been decided for North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria. The adaptation of the EMS physician catalog of indications is essential for the integration of atele-EMS physician. The tele-EMS physician offers the possibility of along-term and comprehensive EMS physician expertise in the EMS regardless of location and, therefore, to partially compensate for alack of EMS physicians. Tele-EMS physicians can also support the dispatch center in an advisory capacity and, for example, clarify secondary transport. Auniform qualification curriculum for tele-EMS physicians was introduced by the North Rhine and Westphalia-Lippe Medical Associations. In addition to consultations from emergency missions, tele-emergency medicine can also be used for innovative educational applications, for example, in the supervision of young physicians or recertification of EMS staff. Alack of ambulances could be compensated for by acommunity emergency paramedic, who could also be connected to the tele-EMS physician.