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Table 1 Fixed system variables.

From: A consensus-based template for documenting and reporting in physician-staffed pre-hospital services

Data point number

Data point name

Field format

Data point categories or values

Type*

Exact definition of data point

Reference/Comments

1

Speciality of physician

Nominal (categorical data)

1 = Anaesthesiology

Bullet list

Specialist/non-specialist is described in "Description of system" section. Mixed refers to both anaesthesiology and emergency medicine

Proposed by project group

   

2 = Emergency medicine

   
   

3 = Mixed

   
   

4 = Other

   

2

Population

Continuous (numerical data)

Number

 

Annual number of citizens in area covered by service.

EED report (European Emergency Data Project)

3

Geographical service area provision

 

squared km

 

Area in which the service is planned to operate, squared km

EED-report

4

MD unit hours per year

Continuous

hh:mm

 

Unit hour is defined as the annual sum of hours the unit is occupied on a mission. ∑ time (patient arrival at hospital) - alarm time/year

EED-report

5

Mode of transportation accessible for the service

Nominal (categorical data)

1 = Ground

Check box

Mode of transportation vehicle(s) available to service on a regular basis.

Abbreviated from Utstein Trauma Registry 2008

   

2 = Rotor-wing

   
   

3 = Fixed-wing

   
   

4 = Other

   

6

Operating hours

Ordinal

1 = Full time service

Bullet list

Full time service is operational all days and nights

Proposed by project group

   

2 = Day time service

 

Part time service is operational only day time and/or in hours of light

 
   

3 = Other

   

7

Activation criteria

Nominal (categorical data)

1 = Criteria-based

Bullet list

Service is activated in accordance with a pre-defined set of activation criteria used by Emergency Medical Communication Centre

Proposed by expert panel

   

2 = Consultation with physician

 

Service is activated only after consultation with an on-call physician

 
   

3 = Both

   

8

Number of events per year

Continuous (numerical data)

Number

 

Events includes dispatches and requests in which the physician in service is involved when on call

"Responses/missions" recoded to "events" by project group

9

Dispatch system

Nominal

1 = Integrated Emergency Medical Communication Centre (EMCC)

Bullet list

Integrated EMCC includes dispatch centres coordinating all levels of pre-hospital services

Proposed by expert panel

   

2 = Special EMCC

 

Special EMCC includes centres only responsible for physician-staffed pre-hospital units

 
   

3 = Both

   
  1. * "Bullet list" means only one possible answer. "Check box" means multiple answers possible.
  2. hh:mm: hours: minutes