Wake County EMS is adjusting how it prioritizes emergency calls to improve patient outcomes and balance demand from the county’s soaring population growth.
Wake County 911 dispatchers will now be asking more questions before sending an ambulance to an emergency to better determine who has the greatest need.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The move to a more thorough triage system comes after authorities reviewed dispatch data nearly two-and-a-half years ago.
If multiple people were to call a 911 office at the same time, this new approach ensures the person experiencing a life-threatening emergency would be first to receive an ambulance, as opposed to the first caller.
“We need a better system, where if the fifth person who calls is the most sick, they get the quickest, most appropriate response,” said Wake County EMS Director Jonathan Studnek.
Right now, Wake County EMS manages an average of 380 calls for service a day, yet only one out of every 10 people are facing an imminent danger.
Starting in phases in March, medically accredited dispatchers will ask 911 callers more questions over the phone before sending help. Those questions will help determine the type of care patients need.
Answers to those questions will categorize patients into four levels, with level 1 being the most severe. Levels 2 and 3 will also receive an ambulance, but it may take a few minutes longer to arrive.
Patients who may only need a quick visit to the doctor will be considered level 4. A dispatcher will notify them over the phone that they’re being transferred to a “nurse navigator” who will essentially provide services similar to a telehealth visit.
“It keeps patients who don’t need to go to the emergency department, out of the emergency department,” Studnek said.
The agency will be hosting a series of seven community meetings across Wake County over the next month for people to ask questions.
"Every day, 911 centers sort incoming calls into hundreds of categories to make sure the right help is sent to each caller," the Wake County government wrote in a news release. "Under the new plan, calls for EMS will be sorted even more precisely, so each patient gets the most appropriate help.
"Call sorting depends on factors like the patient's main concern, when symptoms started and other details about the situation."
Those locations and times will be released within the next week.
