Revolution in emergency services: Teleemergency doctor in Ludwigshafen conquers the Palatinate!

Revolution in emergency services: Teleemergency doctor in Ludwigshafen conquers the Palatinate!

In Ludwigshafen, the “Telenotarzt” project at the BG Clinic has now taken a comprehensive look back, a year after its launch. The initiative aims to reduce the number of necessary emergency medical visits and thus use resources more effectively. Emergency doctor Johannes Becker, who leads the project, was pleased with the positive development and growth of the team, which has grown from initially six to now 16 emergency doctors.

The concept called for emergency doctors not only to be on site, but also to provide digital support. The team uses video technology to transmit information and medical data such as ECG values ​​or blood pressure via mobile devices, which can offer decisive advantages in the initial collection. A total of 45 ambulances with appropriately trained personnel are now active in the Vorder- and Südpfalz area as well as in the Trier-Saarburg area. A new tele-emergency doctor center was recently inaugurated in Trier, which is intended to further expand the impact of the project.

Gradual expansion and training of emergency services

Becker reported on the initially slow training process due to the team's limitations. The training includes aspects of data transfer and communication between paramedics and emergency doctors. The arrangements are organized through video calls on smartphones, with the emergency doctor following the situation on large screens in the headquarters. Despite these early difficulties, enthusiasm for the technology has grown. “The project is constantly growing and developing,” says Becker.

Challenge: Increase in unnecessary missions

A central goal of the teleemergency doctor project is to avoid unnecessary emergency doctor calls. The increase in calls for minor complaints has increased in recent years. This is often influenced by legal requirements that require an emergency doctor to always be dispatched if certain symptoms occur. Becker explains that this often leads to missions in which the patient's complaint is viewed as harmless but still serious. Here the teleemergency doctor can make valuable diagnostic decisions.

Skills and limitations of emergency paramedics

Emergency paramedics have limited decision-making authority, which may necessitate a medical assessment in critical situations. Becker emphasizes that in cases where, for example, a decision has to be made as to whether a patient should be admitted to hospital or whether a certain medication can be administered, valuable time can be saved by consulting a teleemergency doctor.

The integration of the teleemergency doctor system into emergency care has the potential to not only improve the quality of medical assistance, but also increase the efficiency of emergency services. However, Becker emphasizes that an emergency doctor will always be on site if necessary. However, support from headquarters can be crucial, especially in remote regions, to ensure rapid assistance.

The progress in the teleemergency doctor project shows that digital help is becoming increasingly important in emergency care and that the system can help save lives. For detailed information on the project's developments and experiences, please visit www.swr.de.