Patent ID: 7428301

Claim:
A method for managing the exit process of an emergency medical dispatch system, for dispatching medical assistance to persons needing such medical assistance, comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a medical call from a caller on a telephone communication device regarding a patient needing medical assistance, said patient having a chief complaint; (b) receiving from said caller a description of a problem giving rise to a call for medical assistance; (c) a pre-scripted interrogation automatically assigning one of a plurality of pre-established determinant levels based on the description of said problem, wherein said pre-scripted interrogation comprises determining if the caller is the patient, and wherein said pre-scripted interrogation automatically assigns said determinant level by providing a dispatcher with a plurality of preprogrammed inquiries ordered to guide said pre-scripted interrogation to systematically obtain said description of said problem and to traverse a path along a logical tree based on responses to said preprogrammed inquiries, wherein said path along said logical tree ends at an appropriate pre-established determinant level, wherein said preprogrammed inquiries are provided to said dispatcher on a medium readable by the dispatcher, and wherein, instructing said dispatcher to interrogate said caller using said plurality of preprogrammed inquiries, receiving from said dispatcher caller responses to said preprogrammed inquiries, and using said caller responses to traverse said logical tree and thereby assign said appropriate pre-established determinant level; (d) dispatching a medical response based on said determinant level; and (e) providing post dispatch instructions to a caller, prior to the arrival of the responders to prepare the patient for the responders and to expedite the field responders' work, based on said determinant level, thereby eliminating variability due to the different skills of the individual dispatchers.