Communications

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Communications
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Communication System Components

• Base station
• Mobile transmitter/receivers
• Portable transmitter/receivers
• Repeaters
• Digital equipment
• Cellular telephones

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Base Station

• 45-275 watts - (fundamental unit of electrical
  power)
• Should be located as at a stationary site
• Located on suitable terrain (hill)
• High power output (80-150 watts)
• Needs suitable antenna

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Mobile Transmitter/Receivers

• Mobile, vehicular -based transmitter/receivers
• Transmit at lower power than base stations
• 20-50 watts
• Transmission range 10-15 miles over average
  terrain

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Portable Transmitters/Receivers

• Hand-held portable radios
• Used when work performed is away from the vehicle
• Power output 1-5 watts
• Limited range
• Power can be boosted through repeater

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Repeaters

• Receives low powered transmission and retransmits
  at a higher power on another frequency
• Advantageous for EMS units when terrain makes
  reception of signals difficult
• Located in emergency vehicle or fixed sites
  throughout the area

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Digital Equipment

• Encoder
• generates unique code tones recognized by another
  decoder
• Decoder
• Receives and recognizes unique code tones sent
  over the air

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Cellular Telephones

• Transmit and receives through the air
• No wires
• Geographical cells ranging from 2 to 40 square
  miles
• Transmission picked up from cell to cell
• Benefits
• Excellent sound quality
• Availability of channels
• Easy maintenance
• Increased privacy
• Back-up for other radio systems

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Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

• Has jurisdiction over all radio operations in the
  U.S.
• Function of the FCC
• Licenses individual base station operations
• Assigns radio call signs/frequencies
• Approves equipment for use
• Establishes limitations for transmitter output
• Monitors field operations
• Limits interference and bars the use of obscenity
  and profanity in broadcasts

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Communication with Medical Direction

• Receiving facility or separate site
• Need for consultation
• Orders
• Medication administration
• Information must be accurate, organized, and
  pertinent.
• Repeat order back word for word
• Question unclear or inappropriate orders

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Communication with Receiving Facilities

• Provide hospital with information to allow
  hospital to prepare for patients arrival
• Room
• Equipment
• Personnel

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Patient Reporting Concepts

• Volume adjusted properly
• Listen for clear frequency
• Press button and wait for a second before
  speaking
• Lips 2 to 3 inches away from microphone
• Address unit being called, give your unit and
  name
• Addressed you should respond go ahead
• Stand by means wait
• Speak clearly and slowly in a monotone voice
• Keep transmissions brief

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Patient Reporting Concepts Cont..

• Use clear text
• Avoid codes
• Avoid meaningless phrases (be advised, thank you)
• Give then individual digits
• Never give patients name over the air
• Be impartial when describing patients (slander)
• Use we instead of I
• No profanity over the air

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Patient Reporting Concepts Cont..

• Avoid words that are hard to hear like yes, no,
  use affirmative or negative
• End a phrase with over
• Never diagnose patients problem
• Use EMS frequencies for EMS communications
• Reduce background noise

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Dispatch

• Notify dispatch when
• leave the scene
• arrive at hospital
• leave the hospital
• arrive at the station

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Elements of a Report

• Identify level of provider
• Patients age sex
• Chief complaint
• Brief, pertinent history of illness or injury
• Major past history
• Mental status
• Baseline vital
• Pertinent findings of the physical exam
• Care given and response of patient
• ETA

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Systems Maintenance

• Check radio daily
• Update equipment as technology changes
• Have a backup system (cell phone)

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Oral Communication

• At hospital
• Give oral report to staff
• Summarize info given over radio
• Chief complaint
• History not given previously
• Additional treatment given en route
• Additional vitals signs taken en route
• Give information taken but not transmitted over
  radio

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Interpersonal Communications

• Make and keep eye contact
• Position self at or below level of patient
• Be honest
• Use language that can be understood
• Body language
• Speak clearly, slowly, and distinctly
• Use patients proper name
• Difficulty hearing speak slowly with lips visible
• Allow patient time to answer
• Act and speak in calm, confident manner

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Difficult Communications

• Hearing impaired
• Non-English speaking patients
• Interpreters

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Communication with Elderly

• Potential for visual deficit
• Potential for auditory deficit