Safety of an Alternative Care Protocol for EMS Non-Transport in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Emergency medical service interventions and experiences during pandemics: A scoping review

“…Twelve studies (16.4%) [ 54 – 57 , 59 , 61 , 63 – 65 , 71 , 74 , 76 ] explored ways of managing the response to emergency calls (during the COVID-19 pandemic) by implementing a range of technology and protocol/systems interventions. These were: applying Business Intelligence to the management of EMS [ 74 ]; using the Internet of Things to design a relief supply chain network to address multiple suspected cases during the pandemic [ 76 ]; applying a novel Deep Self-Learning Approach to Artificial Orca Algorithm and based on mutation operators to address ambulance dispatching and emergency calls covering problems [ 55 ]; applying two Swarm Intelligence Algorithms (Artificial Orca Algorithm and Elephant Herding Optimization) to organize and manage the dispatching of emergency vehicles while respecting the cover of calls during a crisis [ 56 ]; running a first-stage optimization model to designate ambulances to serve only infected patients and suspected cases [ 71 ]; and, using information and communication technology for emergency medical services (ICT-EMS) systems to improve the transportation of emergency patients [ 64 ].…”

“…A few interventions [6.8%] also focused on phone or video triage [ 54 , 59 , 61 , 63 , 65 ], with positive results. A study [ 57 ] evaluating the safety of a new EMS protocol directing non-transport of low-acuity patients during the COVID-19 pandemic reported large deviations from the novel non-transport protocol and that several patients had to be admitted to hospital, both when the protocol was used correctly and when it was used incorrectly.…”