Physician Medical Direction of Emergency Medical Services Dispatch Programs
Reaffirmed by the ACEP Board of Directors June 2010
Revised and approved by the ACEP Board of Directors September 2003
Originally approved by the ACEP Board of Directors October 1998
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) believes that Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is the delegated practice of medicine. Responsibility for the medical care of the patient begins with the initial request for care. The Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) program is an integral and critical component of the EMS system and is clearly a medical function.
An EMD program requires the active involvement of EMS physician medical directors. The role of the physician medical director of an EMD program is:
To approve the medical component of the dispatch protocols, including mechanisms to determine call priority and configuration of response, and appropriate pre-arrival instructions;
To routinely review dispatch program performance, and maintain active involvement in quality improvement (QI) activities;
To have access to dispatch recordings for review of quality of patient care issues;
To have the authority to recommend or make appropriate changes to protocol or personnel; and
To provide oversight for the ongoing education, training, and medical care provided by emergency medical dispatchers.
The physician medical director's qualifications should include:
Knowledge of current EMS scope of practice and legislation relating to 911 and dispatch functions; and
Education or training, knowledge, and experience in emergency care delivery and medical direction of EMS systems.
ACEP also supports the availability of basic 911 access for all communities of the United States as a minimum public service and encourages the establishment of enhanced levels of 911 access in all communities where it is feasible. Access may include the use of certified EMD call takers and dispatchers as well as standardized dispatch protocols including pre-arrival instructions.