ATCEMS partners with local tech company ESO to help 911 dispatchers

AUSTIN (KXAN) – With an increasing number of 911 calls and staff shortages affecting many emergency medical services departments, Austin-based ESO published a study using data from seven EMS Systems, including Austin’s, to determine an improved approach to emergency response. 

The emergency and crisis management software company said the current EMS system was designed in the 1970s to respond to traumatic injuries on interstate highways. Since then, it has become a tool that not only helps people in times of crisis but also helps others access healthcare. 

“The question has become, how can we in an evidence-based way, ensure that we have a timely response for those that are truly having an emergency, while also being responsive to the community,” said Dr. Brent Myers, Chief Medical Officer at ESO.

In a report published last month, ESO found that up to 10% of calls into EMS are safe to hold, meaning they are not critical or life-threatening, which could help alleviate the pressure when demand is high, for instance, during a weather event. 

ESO said its research, which looked at over 500,000 patient calls, helps EMS departments determine whether a call can be held if resources are scarce or demand is high. 

“You can imagine a situation [where], if everything's great – the sun's up, and we're fully staffed – we can send almost an immediate response to nearly everything. That Utopia doesn't exist in many places,” Myers said. 

“My goal is, at some point, we take the stress off the dispatcher, who knows calls they are holding, during a busy time, can have some reassurance that the ones they've had to hold are indeed safe to hold,” he added.