The Accuracy of Diagnosis and Treatment Made by Pre-hospital Emergency Medical Technicians in Patients Admitted to Hospitals in Qazvin, Iran

Abstract

Background Correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment measures of pre-hospital Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are very important in improving the quality of patient care and reducing mortality and costs. Objective This study aims to investigate the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment made by pre-hospital EMTs in patients admitted to hospitals in Qazvin, Iran. Methods In this descriptive study conducted in 2018, the medical records of 600 patients who were transferred to Bu-Ali Sina and Velayat hospitals in Qazvin by ambulance during March-June 2018 were examined. Diagnosis and treatment measures were extracted from the emergency sheet. Education, work experience, and amount of in-service training of pre-hospital EMTs were also collected. Data were analyzed in SPSS V. 23 software using ANOVA, Chi-square test, and t-test. Findings Out of 600 cases, 71.7% of the initial diagnoses made by EMTs were correct, 8.5% were incorrect, and 19.8% were without initial diagnosis. Regarding the treatment measures, 65.8% were correct and 3.5% were incorrect. Conclusion Prompt help and correct diagnostic and treatment measures of pre-hospital EMTs can significantly reduce mortality and potential injuries.

Keywords

• accuracy
• emergency department performance
• emergency department