Name: Laura Bauernfeind
Agency: Notruf Niederösterreich
Location: Lower Austria
Country: Austria
Service Area: Lower Austria (19k sqkm, 1.7m inhabitants)
- How long have you been working with the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System™ and ProQA?
I've been working for Notruf Niederösterreich since 2018 and have been using the AMPDS™ and ProQA® since my very first shift as an EMD. My first shift is something I remember clearly. I was done with training and had to take my first emergency call. I was glad that ProQA existed. It’s a system that summarizes all medical concerns for me in a compact format.
- What do you like most about ProQA?
First, it greatly simplifies the work. Not only is the content well structured and easy to use, but you can rely on the system 100%. I trust my system and that in turn gives me confidence in my work. It makes me feel like I have control over all the information at any point during the conversation. In addition, ProQA already automates many things. It reduces the frequency in which errors occur because you don't have to enter everything manually. Simultaneously, I can focus more on other priorities like the actual conversation with the caller. This is very important to me during an emergency call.
Note by Stefan Spielbichler, Chief Communications Officer at Notruf Niederösterreich: Mrs. Bauernfeind joined us already in the ProQA era. When we used the MPDS® with cardsets and then implemented ProQA—that was certainly more than 10 years ago—there was an immense leap in quality improvement. From one year to the next we reached ACE status. ProQA improves the quality of the conversation tremendously because you can focus on other things instead of searching for something on the card.
- Can you think of a specific example when ProQA helped you? An experience, a memory, or an anecdote?
I can think of a very formative example. It was a traffic accident with a man lying in the street covered in blood. As with many traffic accidents, the situation was of course very hectic and confusing, but thanks to the Case Entry Question in ProQA, I was able to get a sense of the situation at the scene very, very quickly. It became clear that the young man wasn't breathing. First, of course, you need to keep scene safety in mind when someone is lying in the middle of the road. ProQA helps with this since you can easily access all safety instructions and relay them right away. I was able to start giving instructions to stop the bleeding without delay while another bystander began CPR. I am certain that the callers didn't even notice that I switched instructions because of how fast that can be done. I can access all instructions with the click of a mouse and relay them directly, which, of course, improves the outcome for the patient.”
- What do non-users need to know about the AMPDS and/or ProQA?
I'd say that the AMPDS is the original and most advanced emergency call system in the world. It helps dispatchers worldwide to process calls in a structured fashion rather than freelancing. The protocols have all been developed by experts and can be relayed to callers as written. This not only eliminates errors, but also helps standardize the way emergency calls are processed.
Note by Stefan Spielbichler: And we must not forget the connector to LowCode®. Currently, it’s the hottest topic we discuss during presentations and consultations. The triage outside of the emergency call system can only work if you can 100% trust that no emergency is hidden and know that the call is passed on to a system that can transfer it back to the emergency system, if necessary. Everything from a single source—from a single mold.
- Do you have any recommendations for other users?
I would advise all users—especially all beginners—to study ProQA in depth; find out which options you have in ProQA. You'll get the hang of it relatively quickly since the program is really easy to use.
