Structured communication during emergency response driving: Safety-critical points identified by Finnish emergency response driving experts

Abstract

Background: Emergency response driving (ERD) is a major occupational risk factor in emergency medical services (EMS). Inadequate communication has been acknowledged as a significant contributing cause for major incidents during ERD. Previous evidence shows that structured communication can promote safety in high-risk procedures, but knowledge in ERD context is lacking. The aim of this study was to examine what are the safety-critical points in ERD that should be secured using structured communication.

Method: The nominal group technique (NGT) was used for gathering interview material from ERD experts' (n = 11) workshop. In addition, semi-structured thematic interviews were conducted with other ERD experts (n = 15) from five different EMS areas in Finland. The interview material was analyzed using inductive content analysis.

Results: Using NGT, 13 safety-critical points in ERD requiring the use of structured communication were identified. As a result of the interviews, two main categories were found: 1) Factors affecting the adaptation of the appropriate speed for the current situation and 2) Factors affecting orientation in a driving event.

Conclusion: ERD comprises multiple safety-critical points that should be secured using structured communication between ambulance crew members. Pilot and implementation studies exploring the use of structured communication in ERD are needed in the future.

Keywords: Ambulances; Awareness; Communication; Patient safety; Risk assessment; Safety.