Dispatch Services Research Articles

Drones can be used to provide dispatch centres with on-site photos before arrival of EMS in time critical incidents

BackgroundDrones are able to deliver automated external defibrillators in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) but can be deployed for other purposes. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of sending live photos to dispatch centres before arrival of other units during time-critical incidents. MethodsIn this retrospective observational study, the regional dispatch centre implemented a new service using five existing AED-drone systems covering an estimated 200000 inhabitants in Sweden. Drones were deployed automatically over a 4-month study period (December 2022–April 2023) in emergency calls involving suspected OHCAs, traffic accidents and fires in buildings. Upon arrival at the scene, an overhead photo was taken and transmitted to the dispatch centre. Feasibility of providing photos in real time, and time delays intervals were examined. ResultsOverall, drones were deployed in 59/440 (13%) of all emergency calls: 26/59 (44%) of suspected OHCAs, 20/59 (34%) of traffic accidents, and 13/59 (22%) of fires in buildings.The main reasons for non-deployment were closed airspace and unfavourable weather conditions (68%). Drones arrived safely at the exact location in 58/59 cases (98%). Their overall median response time was 3:49 min, (IQR 3:18–4:26) vs. emergency medical services (EMS), 05:51 (IQR: 04:29–08:04) p-value for time difference between drone and EMS = 0,05. Drones arrived first on scene in 47/52 cases (90%) and the largest median time difference was found in suspected OHCAs 4:10 min, (IQR: 02:57–05:28). The time difference in the 5/52 (10%) cases when EMS arrived first the time difference was 5:18 min (IQR 2:19–7:38), p = NA. Photos were transmitted correctly in all 59 alerts. No adverse events occurred. ConclusionIn a newly implemented drone dispatch service, drones were dispatched to 13% of relevant EMS calls. When drones were dispatched, they arrived at scene earlier than EMS services in 90% of cases. Drones were able to relay photos to the dispatch centre in all cases.Although severely affected by closed airspace and weather conditions, this novel method may facilitate additional decision-making information during time-critical incidents.

"Breaking down in tears, soaked in sweat, and sick from the heat": Media-based composite narratives of first responders working during the 2021 Heat Dome.

During the summer of 2021, a deadly, unprecedented multiday Heat Dome engulfed western Canada. As a result of this extreme heat event (EHE), emergency dispatchers received an unparalleled increase in incoming 911 calls for ambulance, police, and fire (as first responders) services to attend to hundreds of heat-vulnerable community members succumbing to the heat. With 103 all-time heat records broken during this EHE and indoor temperatures of nearly 40°C, the first responders attending these calls faced extensive job demands and highly challenging operating conditions. Initial investigations have explored the health system-level impacts; however, little has been done to explore the impact on the first responders themselves. Therefore, this study aimed to improve our understanding of EHEs' impacts on the operational capabilities and health of first responders, specifically police, fire, ambulance, and dispatch services. A systematized review and content analysis of media articles published on the 2021 Heat Dome in Canada was conducted (n = 2909), and four media-based composite narratives were developed highlighting police, fire, ambulance, and dispatch services. The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model was applied as atheoretical framework for occupational burnout. The media-based composite narratives highlighted that first responders faced record-breaking call volumes, increased mental-health-related claims, and exhaustive heat-related physiological stress. Using the JD-R model as a theoretical framework for occupational burnout, we identified three measures of stressful job demand: work overload (e.g., the surge in call volume, firefighters responding to medical emergencies), emotional demands (e.g., severe medical emergencies, sudden deaths, unresponsive patients, distraught family members), and physical demands (e.g., resuscitation in personal protective equipment, heat-related illness). The experiences described underscore the importance of supporting first responders during work in extreme heat conditions. These findings have important implications for addressing rising rates of burnout during and following public health crises, such as EHEs, a problem that is increasingly being recognized as a threat to the Canadian public healthcare system.

A Study on Decision-Making for Improving Service Efficiency in Hospitals

The provision of efficient healthcare services is essential, driven by the increasing demand for healthcare resources and the need to optimize hospital operations. In this context, the motivation to innovate and improve services while addressing urgent concerns is critical. Hospitals face challenges in managing internal dispatch services efficiently. Outsourcing such services can alleviate the burden on hospital staff, reduce costs, and introduce professional expertise. However, the pressing motivation lies in enhancing service quality, minimizing costs, and exploring innovative approaches. With the rising demand for healthcare services, there is an immediate need to streamline hospital operations. Delays in internal transportation services can have far-reaching implications for patient care, necessitating a prompt and effective solution. Drawing upon dispatch data from a healthcare center in Taiwan, this study constructed a decision-making model to optimize the allocation of hospital service resources. Employing simulation techniques, we closely examine how hospital services are currently organized and how they work. In our research, we utilized dispatch data gathered from a healthcare center in Taichung, Taiwan, spanning from January 2020 to December 2020. Our findings underscore the potential of an intelligent dispatch strategy combined with deployment restricted to the nearest available workers. Our study demonstrates that for cases requiring urgent attention, delay rates that previously ranged from 5% to 34% can be notably reduced to a much-improved 3% to 18%. However, it is important to recognize that the realm of worker dispatch remains subject to a multifaceted array of influencing factors. It becomes evident that a comprehensive dispatching mechanism must be established as part of a broader drive to enhance the efficiency of hospital service operations.

Ambivalent Attitudes Behind The Design Policy in Indonesia

Design intervention in the craft sector is one of the issues that continues to grow in design studies. Ranging from the studies on the co-design process between the designers and crafters to the focus on the wider sociocultural context that influences the craft development process. Recently in Indonesia, design interventions in the craft sector are often carried out under the government policies or initiatives to bring designers and crafters to collaborate. In this study, we focus on one of Indonesia government's policies, namely Designer Dispatch Service Program, to develop craft products in various locations in Indonesia through a design approach. One of the outstanding features of this program is the instrument consists of the organizational form, timeline, and regular evaluation meetings, to control and monitor the collaboration process of designers and crafters. Using the descriptive approach to dissect the interaction between each actor and the policy instruments, we found that each actor continuously adjusts the instrument accordingly to their concern and motivation regarding the policy goals. There are also unspoken goals of each actor which are less concerned about the products being exported. Finally, this study shows that despite the top-down policy being well carried out, we found ambivalent attitudes of the actors by continuously descripting the design process which was set by the policy.

Metoda oceny powstawania hydratów z mieszaniny strumieni gazu ziemnego o różnej zawartości wilgoci

The article deals with the issues of assessing the conditions of hydrate formation when mixing natural gas flows of various standards. An urgent problem of operation, especially of offshore subsea gas pipelines, is the prediction of the time, place and expected intensity of hydrate formation. Depending on the changing operating mode of the gas pipeline, dispatch service specialists must be able to adjust the process control tactics on their own, as quickly as possible. The predisposition of a particular gas pipeline to hydrate is also important for the dispatching service. Changes in the volumes of gas entering the region under consideration from different sources, due to the constant change in gas production, create the need to mix gases of different standards and pump them into subsea gas pipeline. To avoid hydrate formation, it is important to predict the thermobaric conditions that will be formed in the gas pipeline by considering the characteristics such as a volume in the mixture and the moisture content of the gas. The processes of hydrate formation proceed quickly and if the beginning of the process is overlooked, the problem of significant or complete blockage of the gas pipeline might appear. The paper gives a systematization of the risk of hydrate formation depending on several infrastructural factors – the presence of a preliminary gas drying system and a system for starting and receiving cleaning pistons. A method is proposed for estimating the moisture content and dew point temperature of a natural gas mixture by the condition and the proportion of primary flows. It has been shown that the addition of a small volume of undried gas to the main dried gas significantly increases the risk of hydrate formation. A formula is given for calculations for a mixture of multiple natural gas flows. The advantage of this method is the quick calculations, and the absence of the need for huge mathematical calculations and laboratory studies. This is an important element in the activities of the dispatch service, limited by a lack of time in the process of preventing hydrate formation.

Cloud Computing Based Data Processing and Automated Management of Power Dispatch

Abstract As smart grids increase, the scope of power dispatch systems has broadened, encompassing not just traditional dispatch services but also multifaceted information services, encompassing data fusion, heterogeneous system integration, and big data analytics. However, managing intricate information businesses like big data analysis poses numerous challenges for the current power dispatch system, hindering its ability to keep up with escalating business demands. We introduce a cloud computing and big data analytics-based design scheme for a power dispatch data processing and automation management system to address this. Leveraging the distributed computing prowess of cloud computing platforms, the system ensures swift processing and analysis of vast power dispatch data. Additionally, by harnessing big data analysis techniques, the system delves into historical data, uncovers potential operational patterns and risk areas, and offers insights for optimizing the Electric Power System’s (EPS) operations. Experimental outcomes demonstrate the system’s remarkable proficiency in enhancing data processing, real-time control, and automation management capabilities, thereby bolstering the growth of intelligent power dispatch systems with robust technical backing.

이동보조기기 수리서비스 플랫폼 구축에 관한 연구

Objective : This study was conducted to investigate the components necessary to build a mobility devices repair service platform to provide various information related to mobility devices repair and to support rapid repair.
 Methods : In order to analyze the current status and requirements for repairing mobility devices, we conducted focus group interviews with people with disabilities who use mobility devices in October 2022, and analyzed the navigation structure and UI through the platform site maps of five organizations providing repair services in Korea and abroad. Results : In the focus group interviews, there was a demand for quick and convenient repair support services and various information provision. As a result of analyzing the repair service platform, we derived principles such as UI/UX design to make the platform more accessible, a repair service structure that can provide emergency dispatch services quickly, and a structure that can provide various information, and based on these, we prepared a plan for building the platform. Conclusion : In order to meet the various needs for mobility devices repair services, a quick and convenient repair service platform should be built based on PC or App, and a specific system should be established to ensure the right to mobility of people with disabilities.

Obstructive jaundice: routing, diagnostics, treatment tactics

Aim. To analyze three-level system of medical care for different categories of patients with obstructive jaundice on the example of Pavlov University.Materials and methods. The paper presents a retrospective analysis of treating patients with obstructive jaundice. The analysis covered the period from January 2015 to April 2023 and involved an etiology of obstructive jaundice, range of performed surgical interventions, postoperative complication rate, and mortality.Results. The study involved 2494 patients, including 1569 (62.9%) with cholelithiasis. The total mortality accounted for 7.2%, the incidence of postoperative complications – 13.9%. A choice of decompression procedure in patients with malignant tumors depended on the block level. Interventions included percutaneous transhepatic drainage, cholecystostomy, stenting of common bile duct. Hybrid surgery was performed in patients with calculous cholecystitis and choledocholithiasis. A number and size of concrements, a diameter of common bile duct influenced the choice of interventions and their volume. Two-stage tactics for stricture of biliodigestive anastomosis included percutaneous transhepatic drainage and reconstructive surgery. Endoscopic intervention was performed for choledocholithiasis. Procedures for stricture of biliary anastomoses after orthotopic liver transplantation involved endoscopic papillosphincterotomy, balloon dilatation of stricture and stenting of bile duct. Management of obstructive jaundice against the background of gestation included endoscopic papillosphincterotomy, lithoextraction, and, if necessary, treating the pregnancy termination threat.Conclusion. The routing of patients with obstructive jaundice to the 2nd and 3rd level of healthcare units is found necessary to be differentiated, depending on the etiology and severity of their condition. Obstructive jaundice in pregnant women requires the patient to be referred to the hospital of the 3rd level. Creation of a shared dispatch service responsible for a certain territory can reduce a number of routing stages.

Практика дистанционного консультирования очевидцев события диспетчерами экстренных служб по вопросам оказания первой помощи: предложения по совершенствованию нормативно-правовой базы

Summary. The objectives of the study are to examine the international experience in the sphere of normative-legal regulation of the practice of remote counseling of eyewitnesses of an event by first aid emergency dispatchers, to assess the existing legal prerequisites for the introduction of the first aid dispatcher service in our country and to determine the priority directions of improvement of the domestic normative-legal base in order to create conditions for the successful implementation of the practice in the Russian Federation at the federal level. Materials and research methods. A search of scientific literature on the topic of the study in Russian and English by combinations of keywords was performed in 2023. Additional search was carried out in the bibliographic lists of the publications included in the review. The search and analysis of normative legal acts of the Russian Federation was carried out with the help of reference legal systems Garant and ConsultantPlus. Results of the study and their analysis. The authors have formulated and proposed for discussion by the professional community a number of normative proposals aimed at the systematic organization and ensuring the effective implementation of first aid dispatcher service practice in the Russian Federation at the federal level.

Results of the testing of an automated control system and the application of natural gas burners

Purpose. Testing an automated control system to improve the accuracy of calculating natural gas costs in coalfields and provide reliable information to suppliers and consumers regarding mutual settlements. Research methods. The conditions of operation of the mine degassing system and the methods of monitoring its operational indicators for effective management of the technical condition of the object in the real conditions of the mine environment are considered. Approaches to continuous monitoring of well parameters using structural modules of the ACS of the DSH have been determined. Findings. The DSH ACS module was implemented in the real conditions of the mine environment, which made it possible to carry out automatic monitoring of the methane-air mixture, measurement and preparation for issuing to the operational personnel the current values of pressure drops on the diaphragms, absolute pressure, temperature and volume flow of gas. Originality. A new method of increasing the accuracy of commercial accounting of natural gas of coal deposits has been developed, which consists in constant monitoring of the technical condition of the degassing system and automated accounting of natural gas based on the «DIYA» measuring complex. The average hourly values of gas mass flow were obtained, as well as the difference between the data of the channel of the operating ASUTP KS and the channel of the "Ergomera"-126.MU controller in the complex with the "DIYA" operator station. Practical implications. A mine experiment was conducted on monitoring and control of mine degassing gas pipelines using innovative technical solutions for the rapid and systematic delivery of information about the parameters of the mine degassing system to the dispatch service. The structure, principle of operation, methodology for calculating the consumption of natural gases and coal field gases were developed, and industrial tests of an experimental sample of the ACS of the DSH were carried out with automatic entry of results into electronic reporting journals.

Results of the testing of an automated control system and the application of natural gas burners

Purpose. Testing an automated control system to improve the accuracy of calculating natural gas costs in coalfields and provide reliable information to suppliers and consumers regarding mutual settlements. Research methods. The conditions of operation of the mine degassing system and the methods of monitoring its operational indicators for effective management of the technical condition of the object in the real conditions of the mine environment are considered. Approaches to continuous monitoring of well parameters using structural modules of the ACS of the DSH have been determined. Findings.The DSH ACS module was implemented in the real conditions of the mine environment, which made it possible to carry out automatic monitoring of the methane-air mixture, measurement and preparation for issuing to the operational personnel the current values of pressure drops on the diaphragms, absolute pressure, temperature and volume flow of gas. Originality. A new method of increasing the accuracy of commercial accounting of natural gas of coal deposits has been developed, which consists in constant monitoring of the technical condition of the degassing system and automated accounting of natural gas based on the «DIYA» measuring complex. The average hourly values of gas mass flow were obtained, as well as the difference between the data of the channel of the operating ASUTP KS and the channel of the "Ergomera"-126.MU controller in the complex with the "DIYA" operator station. Practical implications. A mine experiment was conducted on monitoring and control of mine degassing gas pipelines using innovative technical solutions for the rapid and systematic delivery of information about the parameters of the mine degassing system to the dispatch service. The structure, principle of operation, methodology for calculating the consumption of natural gases and coal field gases were developed, and industrial tests of an experimental sample of the ACS of the DSH were carried out with automatic entry of results into electronic reporting journals.

위기아동 보호를 위한 가정위탁제도의 활성화에 관한 연구

The home consignment system provides protection for children exposed to crisis for a certain period of time, and is a necessary system for children subject to crisis protection to live in foster homes for a certain period of time. The Ministry of Health and Welfare said that from June 22, 2022, children subject to protection can be extended to 25 years old (to 24 years old) at their will, allowing them to enter society after fully preparing for self-reliance. Until now, children living in child care facilities had difficulty living alone at an early age, regardless of the degree of self-reliance preparation, except in some exceptional cases (schools below university, vocational education and training), and at the age of 18. With this revision, if the self-reliance ability is insufficient during the extension of the protection period, it is possible to determine whether to terminate the protection measures by comprehensively determining one's intention and level of self-reliance preparation. However, consignment families still lack childcare support funds, supply and demand costs far from reality, and supply and demand management systems. It is not easily accessible to general families, such as strict management of related agencies, notification of the return of supervisory agencies to the original course, qualification of foster families, screening, and management issues. It has been almost 20 years since the home consignment system was established, but it is still a big homework for us. The United States goes through complex procedures and screening to become a foster family, but because there is no social consensus on the importance of family consignment, it provides various social services to foster families such as housekeeper dispatch services, day care, and psychological counseling. The number of protected children is increasing rapidly due to repeated child abuse, and the difficulties of children already living in facilities have long been discussed. It is urgent to protect children in crisis by revitalizing the foster family system suitable for our reality.

How Can Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Data Collection in Slovenia Be Improved?

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) has been established as a significant contributor to mortality rates in developed nations. Due to the challenges associated with conducting controlled randomized trials, there exists a necessity for the collection of high-quality data to enhance the comprehension of the impact of interventions. Several nations have initiated efforts to gather information pertaining to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The Republic of Slovenia has been collecting data from interventions; however, the variables and data attributes have not yet been standardized to comply with international standards. This lack of conformity poses a challenge in making comparisons or drawing inferences. The aim of this study is to identify how to better gather OHCA data in Slovenia. Materials and methods: The Utstein resuscitation registry protocol (UP) was compared to the Slovenian data points that must be gathered in accordance with the Rules on Emergency Medical Service (REMS) during interventions. In addition, we have proposed alternative measures of digitization to enhance pre-hospital data. Results: Missing data points and attribute mismatches were detected in Slovenia. Eight data points necessitated by the UP are gathered in several databases (hospitals, the National Institute of Public Health, dispatch services, intervention reports from first responders, and defibrillator files), but not in the mandated protocols based on REMS. Two data points have variables that do not match those of the UP. A total of 16 data points according to UP are currently not being collected in Slovenia. The advantages and potential drawbacks of digitizing emergency medical services have been discussed. Conclusions: The study has identified gaps in the methods employed for collecting data on OHCA in Slovenia. The assessment conducted serves as a basis for enhancing the process of data collection, integrating quality control measures across the nation, and establishing a nationwide registry for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in Slovenia.

Defining the architecture for building a unified call center for emergency services

This article analyzes the existing types of architectures for building a single call center for emergency services, and also proposes the necessary architecture format for the Unified Duty Dispatch Service. At the same time, the article details the main advantages and disadvantages of the types of architectures for building a single call center for emergency services, which will allow you to choose the best option for short-term and effective implementation the proposed architecture for the Unified Dispatch Service.

Исследование критической уязвимости сервиса аутентификации и последствий для медицинских учреждений, относящихся к субъектам критической информационной инфраструктуры

Relevance. The functionality of malware has grown exponentially in recent years. There are more and more ways in which attackers can gain access to secret or personal data, as well as information stored in critical information infrastructure, including those related to the healthcare sector, but the consequences of attacks on such objects lead to serious consequences. A striking example is the leak of data to the public from the database of the unified dispatch service of the Lipetsk Region, which contained a lot of information about the patient, including their full name and address. Purpose. Investigation of the vulnerability BDU:2022-05212, which allows an attacker to gain full rights to the infrastructure. On the basis of the research done, to study the principles of operation of this vulnerability, as well as classify it and identify the consequences for CII objects. Make a list of measures necessary to ensure security against attacks of this kind. Material and methods. This article describes how to gain unauthorized access through the CAS administrative interface by calling the URL on the page that is used to install the default on the server and create the first administrator user. As well as an experimental study of this vulnerability, methods for its detection and consequences for CII subjects was carried out. Results. In accordance with the Federal Law of July 26, 2017 Nо. 187-FZ, definitions are considered that allow classifying information systems in the field of health care as CII and consider an actual example of data leakage in this area due to the vulnerability of the CAS server at the network level. The article also discusses the basics of the CAS server, compiled a vulnerability classification table BDU:2022-05212, and indicated the basic vulnerability vector metric according to the FSTEC standards. The conclusion in this article is based on how to protect against this vulnerability, as well as recommendations for resolving the problem if the attack has already been committed before. The results of the study will improve the level of authentication security in web applications and sites using CAS server technologies, organizations operating in the banking sector, as well as in the healthcare sector related to CII. Conclusion. The article puts the key – the security of the infrastructure of subjects of critical information infrastructure in the field of healthcare. This article will be useful for employees of the information security department working with CII objects, especially those operating in healthcare, banking, and other areas of the financial market. Keywords:critical information infrastructure protection, information security, healthcare industry, vulnerabilities, infotelecommunications

Digitalization in Coach Terminal: Riga Case Study

The research is focused on the digitalization in a passenger terminal and presents an approach for Riga International Coach Terminal (RICT) in Latvia. The authors consider a Bus Route Management System for RICT, Data Flows and Data Types that are provided from bus users, bus drivers, carriers, and local authorities in charge of bus management through information systems. A key outcome is a before and after analysis of exploiting the advantages of the system implementation in different dimensions which has helped to automate the day-to-day work of the dispatcher's service, to improve the efficiency of the daily work of employees by reducing the amount of manual work, automating repetitive standard operations, and reducing the possibility of human error. The implementation of system redefines the RICT as a efficient and reliable multimodal transport hub in Baltic States.

К вопросу оценки эффективности интерактивных систем оперативного управления подразделениями экстренных служб

Purpose. The article presents a mathematical model of indicators and quality criteria for human-machine interaction (HMI) of automated workstations (AWS) for duty dispatch services operators (DDSOs), which can be used to analyze the quality of HMI of DDSOs in order to reduce the dispatch time of emergency service units. Methods. The methods of system analysis, set theory and relational algebra are used to build the indicator model. Findings. The anatomical, social and psychosomatic features of users are identified and analyzed in the aspect of human-machine interaction. On the basis of the selected factors, a mathematical model of HMI of DDSOs in the third normal form, a mathematical model of navigation on sets of its entities, is developed. A system of indicators and criteria for the quality of HMI of DDSOs is developed, a hypothesis about their predictive capabilities is put forward. A developed software package allows measuring, recording and processing experimental data on time response characteristics of HMI of DDSOs in the system of absolute and relative coordinates of the monitor. The system also makes it possible to obtain the fundamental values of the scene characteristics of HMI of DDSOs and visual design of the user interface depending on individual characteristics of user interface elements such as size, quantity, absolute and relative position. Research application field. The results of the study can be used to quantify the quality, analyze and optimize HMI of both existing and newly developed AWS for DDSOs, as well as to develop technical specifications and formulate technical requirements for their user interface. Conclusions. The article proposes methods for studying the laws of constructing user interfaces for AWS of DDSOs and methods for their quantitative assessment. The article is a continuation of the author's systematic study of the features of human-machine interaction in real-time organizational systems.

Опыт работы единого центра диспетчеризации, мониторинга и медицинской эвакуации в составе территориального центра медицины катастроф Свердловской области

Summary. The goal of the study is to show, on the basis of analysis of the experience of the unified center of dispatching, monitoring and medical evacuation in the structure of the Territorial Center for Disaster Medicine of Sverdlovsk region, the efficiency of unified dispatching service, operating on the functional basis in the same information field as the regional emergency medical service. Materials and research methods. Sources of information and materials on the research theme: normative and methodological documents regulating order and organization of the Disaster Medicine Service and emergency medical aid; publications in “Disaster medicine”, “Emergency Medical Aid” journals; reports of heads of joint centers and independent territorial disaster medicine centers. Research methods: analytical, statistical, method of direct observation, method of logical and informational modeling. Research results and their analysis. The work of three departments of unified center of dispatching, monitoring and medical evacuation was analyzed: operative-dispatching department, department of consultation and monitoring of intensive care patients, department of monitoring of ambulance calls. It is concluded that this model of a single dispatch service is financially inexpensive, efficient and can be recommended to the regions of Urals, Siberia and the Far East, where there are strong territorial disaster medicine centers and specialized resuscitation and consultative centers.

Analysis of the influence of expressway emergencies on transmission speeds and travel delays

Expressway emergencies tend to cause traffic congestion, and understanding the travel time delays of on-road vehicles under different combinations of event scenarios and road traffic conditions is valuable for guiding the accurate emer-gency dispatch services. Most existing studies used methods that combine the Lighthill–Whitham–Richards (LWR) theory and basic traffic diagrams to solve this problem, but the discrete traffic flow characteristics caused by the pres-ence of heavy vehicles have not been considered, thus affecting the applicability of those results to road traffic charac-teristics in China. Moreover, there is a lack of systematic research on multiple combinations of unexpected event sce-narios and traffic conditions, and the guidance value of the previously obtained results is limited. In order to improve the applicability of the prediction model and accurately predict the severity of emergencies, based on a logistic model that is applicable to emergencies, a velocity–density model is constructed to describe discrete traffic flow characteris-tics. Based on LWR theory, the internal driving force of expressway traffic state evolution under emergency conditions is explored. Combined with real-time traffic flow data, the parameters of the logistic model are calibrated, and a lo-gistic velocity–density model is constructed using a goodness-of-fit test and a marching method, including the free-flow velocity, turning density and heavy vehicle mixing ratio. Thus, the problem that existing models lack applicability to road traffic characteristics in China is solved. Travel time delay is associated with the impact range of an emergency, and it is an effective index for evaluating the severity of emergency incidents. Thus, the travel time delays under differ-ent scenarios, different numbers of blocked lanes and different orthogonal combinations of approximate saturation conditions are explored, and the impacts of lane blockage on emergency incidents and travel time delays are obtained. The conclusions show that the presented logistic velocity–density model constructed based on discrete traffic flow characteristics can properly quantify the impact of the presence of heavy vehicles. Additionally, the results can provide theoretical support for handling emergencies and emergency rescues.

Discovering Key Topics in Emergency Medical Dispatch from Free Text Dispatcher Observations.

The objective of this work was to discover key topics latent in free text dispatcher observations registered during emergency medical calls. We used a total of 1374931 independent retrospective cases from the Valencian emergency medical dispatch service in Spain, from 2014 to 2019. Text fields were preprocessed to reduce vocabulary size and filter noise, removing accent and punctuation marks, along with uninformative and infrequent words. Key topics were inferred from the multinomial probabilities over words conditioned on each topic from a Latent Dirichlet Allocation model, trained following an online mini-batch variational approach. The optimal number of topics was set analyzing the values of a topic coherence measure, based on the normalized pointwise mutual information, across multiple validation K-folds. Our results support the presence of 15 key topics latent in free text dispatcher observations, related with: ambulance request; chest pain and heart attack; respiratory distress; head falls and blows; fever, chills, vomiting and diarrhea; heart failure; syncope; limb injuries; public service body request; thoracic and abdominal pain; stroke and blood pressure abnormalities; pill intake; diabetes; bleeding; consciousness. The discovery of these topics implies the automatic characterization of a huge volume of complex unstructured data containing relevant information linked to emergency medical call incidents. Hence, results from this work could lead to the update of structured emergency triage algorithms to directly include this latent information in the triage process, resulting in a positive impact in patient wellbeing and health services sustainability.