Burn Diagnostic Tool for Emergency Dispatch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Emergency dispatch systems lack the capability to accurately assess burn severity and prioritize medical emergencies effectively, as they rely on untrained dispatchers and callers to estimate burn surface area, which can lead to inadequate responses.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that provides a diagnostic tool within the dispatch center, using a user interface with a human body divided into sections, allowing dispatchers to calculate the burn surface area based on caller input, with age-specific proportions, and determining a priority value for emergency response.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If dispatchers rely on untrained callers to estimate burn surface area, then the dispatch system remains simple and easy to operate, but the measurement precision of burn severity assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a computer as an intermediary between the dispatcher and the burn assessment process. The computer presents a visual body diagram with selectable burn areas, allowing the dispatcher to accurately assess burn severity without requiring medical training. This intermediary tool bridges the gap between simple operation and precise measurement.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a visual copy or representation of the human body (body diagram) displayed on the computer screen. This graphical copy allows the dispatcher to select and estimate burn surface areas by choosing from predefined body regions, eliminating the need for the dispatcher to perform complex medical calculations while maintaining high measurement precision.
2Measurement precision
If a visual body diagram tool is implemented for burn assessment, then the measurement precision of burn surface area improves, but the device complexity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system presents a visual copy of the human body divided into standard anatomical regions on the computer screen. The dispatcher simply clicks or selects the burned areas from this visual representation, which automatically calculates the total burn surface area. This copying approach maintains ease of operation by using intuitive visual selection rather than requiring complex manual calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The computer system performs the complex calculation work automatically. Once the dispatcher selects the burned body regions, the system self-calculates the burn surface area using standardized medical formulas (such as the Rule of Nines), eliminating the need for the dispatcher to manually compute the percentages. The system serves itself by automating the mathematical computations.
3Measurement precision
If age-specific body proportions are used in burn assessment, then the measurement precision for different age groups improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different body proportion standards to different age groups (infants, children, adults). The computer automatically adjusts the body diagram and calculation parameters based on the patient's age, ensuring that the appropriate anatomical proportions are used for each demographic. This local quality approach tailors the assessment to specific age-related characteristics without requiring the dispatcher to manually adjust settings.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts the body diagram and calculation methodology based on the input age parameter. When the dispatcher enters the patient's age, the system automatically switches between different body proportion models (e.g., Lund-Browder chart for children vs. Rule of Nines for adults). This dynamic adjustment maintains measurement precision across different age groups while keeping the interface simple, as the changes occur automatically in the background.
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AI summary
A system and method to assist an emergency medical dispatcher in responding to emergency calls is disclosed. A computer-implemented emergency dispatch protocol is provided that includes interrogatories for a dispatcher to ask a caller to generate an appropriate response. A diagnostic tool is provided to aid a dispatcher in calculating a burn surface area of a patient. The diagnostic tool calculates the burn surface area based on caller relayed information about the areas of the patient's body that are burned. The burn calculation may be based on the Rule of Nines methodology. The diagnostic tool can be launched automatically by the emergency dispatch protocol, or manually as desired by a dispatcher. The diagnostic tool presents a user interface that may provide, among other things, instructions, a visual portrayal of the human body, and input fields.