Medical EmergenciesCRRAQPANCT06502925
Quality of Incoming Call Handling in an Emergency Dispatch Center
An observational study of Medical Emergencies, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon at 2 sites in France.
Trial summary
The aim of Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) is to ensure prompt access to medical care for all at all times, initiate appropriate responses quickly, arrange suitable hospital facilities, and coordinate patient transport and hospitalization. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Medical Emergencies
- How many people
- 800 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesFrance
- Study dates
- 1 Aug 2024to Jul 2025
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: We will study incoming calls in the EMD of Besançon University Hospital. These calls must be handled by a professional EM dispatcher and must have a 'severity' code that is not unfounded. During the replay and evaluation, it can happen that the supervisor is unable to assign a severity code with certainty. This occurs when a decisive question regarding the severity code has not been asked, and the information has not been provided spontaneously by the caller. In such cases, the supervisor considers the code obtained by the EMD to be unfounded
Who may be able to join
- Calls handled by a professional EM Dispatcher during the study period.
Who cannot join
- Calls handled by a medical student functioning as an EM Dispatcher.
- Calls for which the "severity" code is unfounded.
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France2 sites, 2 recruiting
- Recruiting
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon
Besançon, Franche Comté, 25000
Antoine Leclerc, aleclerc@chu-besancon.fr
Jean-Baptiste Pretalli, PhD, 33 3 81 21 81 27, jbpretalli@chu-besancon.fr
- Recruiting
University Hospital of Besançon
Besançon, Franche Comté, 25000
Antoine Leclerc, aleclerc@chu-besancon.fr
Jean-Baptiste Pretalli, PhD, 33 3 81 21 81 27, jbpretalli@chu-besancon.fr
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of the Quality of Incoming Call Handling Assisted by the proQA Software in the Emergency Dispatch Center of Besançon.
The aim of Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) is to ensure prompt access to medical care for all at all times, initiate appropriate responses quickly, arrange suitable hospital facilities, and coordinate patient transport and hospitalization.
In France, care begins with an incoming call managed by the EM Dispatchers, who collect the patient's details and assess the seriousness of the situation. This severity assessment is essential for triggering the appropriate resources: direct dispatch of first-aiders in extreme emergencies, or transfer of the call to an emergency or general practitioner.
Read more
Under- or over-assessment will necessitate redirection, resulting in a loss of time and opportunity for the patient, or emergency channel congestion. Errors at this stage can impact the entire care pathway.
To assist EM dispatchers, aids have been developed. Firstly, In France, a diploma course was created in 2019. Various training methods exist. Their contribution to the quality of incoming calls handling remains unevaluated. Secondly, EM centers use regulation protocols designed to guide dispatchers in call handling and identifying the seriousness of the situation.
The regulation protocol used at Besançon University Hospital is ProQA (Priority Dispatch Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT, US). It uses standardized questions and records EM Dispatchers' decisions and the responses they obtain from callers. These responses are considered by ProQA, which then assigns a "severity" code to the call.
The assistance provided by regulation protocols, however useful, remains insufficient. Contextual factors can complicate compliance with regulation protocols, making matching resources to needs challenging.
AQUA is a software package dedicated to quality control, enabling EM Dispatcher's supervisors to rate the quality of all stages of the call-taking process. This ensures that all key questions have been asked and that they have been asked correctly. In addition, the 'severity' code obtained by the EM Dispatcher can be compared with the 'severity' code obtained by the supervisor, using a qualifying analysis method and data entry software. The calls are replayed under optimal conditions, in a calm environment and allowing supervisors to listen multiple times to ensure no information is missed. the supervisors' code is therefore the reference code.
CRRAQPA study's aim is to assess the quality of incoming call handling and to identify the factors that influence this quality.
- Conditions
- Medical Emergencies
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The proportion of incoming calls for which the 'severity' code identified by the EM dispatchers during the call and the 'severity' code identified by the supervisor after replaying the call are in agreement.
The quality of the incoming call will be assessed based on the agreement between the 'severity' code identified by the EM dispatchers during the call and the 'severity' code identified by the supervisor after replaying the call using the AQUA software.
There are six possible severity codes, which will be grouped into a three-category variables corresponding to the three possible referrals (emergency physician, general practitioner, 'flash' departure).
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
Secondary outcomes (8)
The proportion of over- and under-rated calls.
An over-rated call occurs when the severity level identified by the EM dispatcher is higher than that identified by the supervisor upon replay.
An under-rated call occurs when the severity level identified by the EM dispatcher is lower than that identified by the supervisor upon replay
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of the different training modalities received by EM dispatchers.
In France, several training modalities exist for EM dispatchers such as field training, 2019 diploma training, training via tape replay, call simulation training.
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The number of years of experience in the profession of the EM dispatchers participating in the study.
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The rate of answered calls within 20 s (= quality of service at 20 seconds, QS20)
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The number of calls per hour in the call centre.
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The duration between the beginning of the EM dispatcher's shift and the time at which the incoming call occurs
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of incoming calls occurring during the day or night
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of incoming call occuring during week days or week-ends
Measured: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Jul 2024
- Study start1 Aug 2024
- Primary completionJul 2025 (estimated)
- Study completionJul 2025 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Medical EmergenciesStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de BesanconThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 800 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Antoine Leclerc, Principal investigator, University Hospital of Besançon
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06502925
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 2023/833
- Acronym
- CRRAQPA
- Status last verified
- Nov 2024
- First submitted
- 1 Jul 2024
- Last updated
- 7 Nov 2024
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The data in this study are not publicly available, but reasonable requests can be made.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 7 Nov 2024. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of the Quality of Incoming Call Handling Assisted by the proQA Software in the Emergency Dispatch Center of Besançon.
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06502925
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- CRRAQPA / 2023/833
- Conditions
- Medical Emergencies
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 800 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de BesanconUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Aug 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2025 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jul 2025 (estimated)
- First posted
- 16 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The aim of Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) is to ensure prompt access to medical care for all at all times, initiate appropriate responses quickly, arrange suitable hospital facilities, and coordinate patient transport and hospitalization.
In France, care begins with an incoming call managed by the EM Dispatchers, who collect the patient's details and assess the seriousness of the situation. This severity assessment is essential for triggering the appropriate resources: direct dispatch of first-aiders in extreme emergencies, or transfer of the call to an emergency or general practitioner.
Under- or over-assessment will necessitate redirection, resulting in a loss of time and opportunity for the patient, or emergency channel congestion. Errors at this stage can impact the entire care pathway.
To assist EM dispatchers, aids have been developed. Firstly, In France, a diploma course was created in 2019. Various training methods exist. Their contribution to the quality of incoming calls handling remains unevaluated. Secondly, EM centers use regulation protocols designed to guide dispatchers in call handling and identifying the seriousness of the situation.
The regulation protocol used at Besançon University Hospital is ProQA (Priority Dispatch Corporation, Salt Lake City, UT, US). It uses standardized questions and records EM Dispatchers' decisions and the responses they obtain from callers. These responses are considered by ProQA, which then assigns a "severity" code to the call.
The assistance provided by regulation protocols, however useful, remains insufficient. Contextual factors can complicate compliance with regulation protocols, making matching resources to needs challenging.
AQUA is a software package dedicated to quality control, enabling EM Dispatcher's supervisors to rate the quality of all stages of the call-taking process. This ensures that all key questions have been asked and that they have been asked correctly. In addition, the 'severity' code obtained by the EM Dispatcher can be compared with the 'severity' code obtained by the supervisor, using a qualifying analysis method and data entry software. The calls are replayed under optimal conditions, in a calm environment and allowing supervisors to listen multiple times to ensure no information is missed. the supervisors' code is therefore the reference code.
CRRAQPA study's aim is to assess the quality of incoming call handling and to identify the factors that influence this quality.
Study design
- Observational model
- Other
- Time perspective
- Prospective
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- We will study incoming calls in the EMD of Besançon University Hospital. These calls must be handled by a professional EM dispatcher and must have a 'severity' code that is not unfounded. During the replay and evaluation, it can happen that the supervisor is unable to assign a severity code with certainty. This occurs when a decisive question regarding the severity code has not been asked, and the information has not been provided spontaneously by the caller. In such cases, the supervisor considers the code obtained by the EMD to be unfounded
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Calls handled by a professional EM Dispatcher during the study period.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Calls handled by a medical student functioning as an EM Dispatcher.
- Calls for which the "severity" code is unfounded.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
The proportion of incoming calls for which the 'severity' code identified by the EM dispatchers during the call and the 'severity' code identified by the supervisor after replaying the call are in agreement.
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The quality of the incoming call will be assessed based on the agreement between the 'severity' code identified by the EM dispatchers during the call and the 'severity' code identified by the supervisor after replaying the call using the AQUA software. There are six possible severity codes, which will be grouped into a three-category variables corresponding to the three possible referrals (emergency physician, general practitioner, 'flash' departure).
8 secondary outcomes
The proportion of over- and under-rated calls.
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of the different training modalities received by EM dispatchers.
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The number of years of experience in the profession of the EM dispatchers participating in the study.
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The rate of answered calls within 20 s (= quality of service at 20 seconds, QS20)
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The number of calls per hour in the call centre.
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The duration between the beginning of the EM dispatcher's shift and the time at which the incoming call occurs
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of incoming calls occurring during the day or night
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
The proportion of incoming call occuring during week days or week-ends
Time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 7 Nov 2024.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The data in this study are not publicly available, but reasonable requests can be made.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Antoine Leclerc principal investigator
University Hospital of Besançon
2 sites in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Medical Emergencies, run by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besancon at 2 sites in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 7 Nov 2024. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Antoine Leclerc (+33 3 81 66 88 67, aleclerc@chu-besancon.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The proportion of incoming calls for which the 'severity' code identified by the EM dispatchers during the call and the 'severity' code identified by the supervisor after replaying the call are in agreement. (time frame: Through study completion, the anticipated duration is 1 year). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 7 Nov 2024.