J Korean Soc Emerg Med.  2021 Dec;32(6):665-682.

Accuracy of medical directors for indirect medical oversight on prehospital care

• Lee SH
• Kim SH
• Kim SC
• Kim JE
• Yang TW
• Kim MH
• Cha JJ
• Regionalization and Research of Emergency Medical Services in Yeongnam (RREMSY) Group

Abstract

Objective
This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the assessment of medical directors for indirect medical oversight on prehospital care.
Methods
Medical directors assessed the same prehospital care run sheets with six cases of cardiac arrest, four cases of withholding or interruption of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and six cases of severe trauma patients. Demographics of the medical directors and the accuracy of their assessment for the prehospital care run sheets were investigated.
Results
Board certified emergency physician was 14 of the total 21 medical directors (58%). Eleven medical directors were educated for the medical director course of the Korean council of emergency medical services physicians. The accuracy of the assessment of the medical directors was 50% in the assessment of electrocardiogram using an automated external defibrillator (AED) in cardiac arrest. Pulse check, respiration check, AED monitoring and the reason of interruption for CPR were lower than 60% for withholding or interruption of CPR. The lowest accurate assessment of medical directors was the appropriate treatment for trauma, with 36.5% in severe trauma.
Conclusion
Lower accuracy in some assessments of the medical directors for indirect medical oversight on prehospital care was identified. Education and quality control are needed for medical directors to provide high-quality indirect medical oversight.

Keyword

Emergency medical services; Prehospital emergency care; Quality control