New Category System

[Alex]

Who can shed some light for me? Im interested to know a bit about it.

AS12 CatC ** Beare Av, Netley 129 C5
CT71 CatB ** Elizabeth St, Norwood 119 B9
WK81 CatA *** Dunstan Rd, Waikerie R*****

I hear its part of a new dispatch system as well?

By the way, looking for actual facts from people in the know.

[Robert-Robert34]

The ABC categories are replacing the 1-7 system

Old
Cat 1- Urgent (life threatening)
Cat 2- Semi Urgent (failed secondary assessment)
Cat 3- Non Urgent (active treatment needed)
Cat 4- Patient transfer (treatment needed)
Cat 5- Patient transfer (observation only)
Cat 6- Patient transfer (No treatment needed)
Cat 7- Standby

New
Cat A- Urgent (life threatening)
Cat B- Semi Urgent (failed secondary assessment)
Cat C- Routine(could be either non urgent, patient transfer or standby at location)
 

[boredmatrix]

try plugging AMPDS  or 'ADVANCED MEDICAL PRIORITY DISPATCH SYSTEM' into google or another associated search engine.......

[misterteddy]

The AMPDS deals with Emergency cases and the old Cat 1-3 is replaced by a pseudo standard of A, B and C and they correlate in terms of priority and lights/sirens etc. Cat A gets u 2 resources where possible, B is one, both get to make noise to scare old ladies and impress small children. C is for non critical jobs (broken bones etc)

SAAS have retained Cats 4-6 for non emerg transfers

[boredmatrix]

er..no.  Cat A doesn't get you 2 resources every time. 

Each case type has pre-determined resource responses.  Cat A refers to a TIME criteria - in which a resource needs to attend the case within 8 minutes.  The determinants in each case type indicate the resources

Cat B refers to an 18 minute window in which the case needs to be attended.

[SA Firey]

More info can be found here Robert http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Medical_Priority_Dispatch_System

[misterteddy]

er..no.  Cat A doesn't get you 2 resources every time. 

Each case type has pre-determined resource responses.  Cat A refers to a TIME criteria - in which a resource needs to attend the case within 8 minutes.  The determinants in each case type indicate the resources

Cat B refers to an 18 minute window in which the case needs to be attended.

thanks Bordey....I stand corrected. In the original draft I saw that was the case, Cat A two resources either sprint, first responder  plus transport within the 2 timelines ie initial response within 8 and a transporting option within 18.

Having seen the poster at the station tonight, I see that has changed into no mention of a second response unit.

So the queastion is.....does this system see less resources responding than the old system? According to this, a single first responder is fine for an non responsive collapse, so long as a transporting crew is responded within 18 mins - all the system timeframes are met, so SAAS looks great in its reports......but a far cry clinically from the previous Cat 1 response (2 crews on dispatch wherever possible)??

[boredmatrix]

a week in and most ambo's think the same about this system....[this space left intentionally blank]


 - it overutilises resources (particularly ICP's) where they are not needed (in order to cover their arses with some case types  - it's a bit like the MFS sending 5 appliances to an FIP.  ie: if it was a real fire in a 15 story building in the CBD - your phones would be ringing off the hook/board lighting up like a christmas tree - but we'll send all of them anyway!)

- it doesn't really have much to do about patient outcomes as it does about response times.   - While the argument can be made that response times ARE about patient care - I could bring you a dozen examples in one day of why and how it's not really as effective as management would make it out to be!

[Alex]

 - it overutilises resources (particularly ICP's) where they are not needed (in order to cover their arses with some case types  - it's a bit like the MFS sending 5 appliances to an FIP.  ie: if it was a real fire in a 15 story building in the CBD - your phones would be ringing off the hook/board lighting up like a christmas tree - but we'll send all of them anyway!)

Eerrr.... way off topic but since its brought up regularly, that's all well and good until outside of business hours when buildings are unoccupied. There is a procedure for reduced responses during business hours.

[boredmatrix]

due to SAAS response times blowing out in metro- a lot of the CAT A determinents have been reviewed and changed.

Something else of concern is a reactive directive by management that any available single responders (ie: managers) will be available forthwith in an attempt to manage this workload.  Thats all well and good but what gets patients to hospitals......30 first responders or 10 ambulances and 10 first responders??    This will only compound the problem until someone takes a realistic look at MPDS and grows some balls to make the decision to put people with brains in the EOC who can manage the workload without having to be told  by  a computer how to do it.....

[SA Firey]

due to SAAS response times blowing out in metro- a lot of the CAT A determinents have been reviewed and changed.

Something else of concern is a reactive directive by management that any available single responders (ie: managers) will be available forthwith in an attempt to manage this workload.  Thats all well and good but what gets patients to hospitals......30 first responders or 10 ambulances and 10 first responders??    This will only compound the problem until someone takes a realistic look at MPDS and grows some balls to make the decision to put people with brains in the EOC who can manage the workload without having to be told  by  a computer how to do it.....

Oh yeah like the Cat B they gave a staff car the other day and then got told sorry our car does'nt have lights and sirens