Process analysis and optimization in Emergency Medicine

Time-critical emergencies occur by the hundreds every day. Overall, there are about 6,000 emergency physician missions in Germany each day - twice as many as 20 years ago. Germany has a nationwide Emergency Medical Services (EMS) System with rather short response times that is internationally well acknowledged. Nonetheless, there are many cases where an efficient EMS mission cannot be guaranteed. It must be noticed that short response intervals and rapid treatment on the scene are useless unless the patient is not transported in a timely manner to a hospital capable to immediately deliver the necessary level of care. Today valuable minutes often pass in the dispatch center until a suitable hospital can be found. Furthermore, either out of ignorance or as a makeshift solution, patients are transported to hospitals that are located close by, but do not have the optimal equipment for the diagnosed problem. The reasons for this vary: It is hard to estimate transport times, it costs time to check on other available hospitals, and the information received then is often incomplete or not reliable.