Washington, D.C.'s 911 call center is scheduled to launch a program April 19 allowing registered nurses to process live emergency calls from individuals with nonemergency medical requests, The Washington Post reports.
Under the program, 911 operators will transfer callers with low-level medical issues to a triage line where RNs will ask a series of questions to assess the individual's medical issues. If need be, nurses will book appointments with medical providers at roughly 23 facilities citywide who are able to see the caller near their home within a two-hour period. Nurses will also request a ride-hailing service organization to transfer the patient to the medical facility, pharmacy and back home if necessary, according to the report.
The goal of the program, which cost the city an estimated $1 million, is to reserve District ambulances and medics for serious emergency cases. City officials told The Washington Post as many as 70 percent of the 911 medical calls they respond to involve nonemergent cases. Last year, the city handled approximately 166,000 911 medical calls.
Nurses will initially field about 65 calls per day to gauge how well area medical facilities and transportation systems handle the patient loads. Officials expect to double the goal within six months, and in 18 months, officials aim to evaluate the program's success.
Overflow calls will be sent to call centers in Florida and Texas that will help book medical appointments and dispatch rides to District residents. Nurses with access to the caller's medical and personnel information will follow up with patients the following day, the report states.
Six nurse triage programs at 911 call centers exist nationwide. The first was started in Richmond, Va., in 2004. However, the Richmond program allowed patients to request an ambulance even after speaking with a trained nurse. The city ended the program in 2009, according to the report.
To access The Washington Post report, click here.