UTSW/BioTel Policy: BioTel Mandatory Contact

 

Purpose: The purpose of this policy is to ensure that UTSW/BioTel paramedics contact BioTel or the receiving hospital directly under appropriate circumstances.

  1. It is mandatory that receiving hospital emergency departments receive essential patient information on critical patients, and on those patients meeting “specialty care criteria.  UTSW/BioTel paramedics SHALL ALWAYS contact BioTel or the receiving hospital directly under the following circumstances:
    1. When transporting a patient “Code 3”.
    2. When transporting a patient who:
      1. Meets Trauma Center triage criteria (Refer to the DESTINATION Policy).
      2. Is felt to be experiencing an acute STEMI.
      3. Is felt to be experiencing an acute stroke.
      4. Is felt to be suffering from “Excited Delirium”.
      5. Has an unstable airway.
      6. Is having CPR performed.
      7. May have been exposed to a toxic/hazardous substance, whether or not the patient has been decontaminated in the field.
      8. Has been incompletely assessed or combative, en route to the receiving hospital emergency department.
    3. When paramedics encounter a physician on-scene of a medical emergency incident who wishes to direct the care of a patient. (Refer to the PHYSICAN ON-SCENE COORDINATION Policy.)
  2. Paramedics MAY contact BioTel at ANY time, either by radio or by cellular phone by calling 214-590-8848. UTSW/BioTel paramedics SHOULD contact BioTel when they believe that consultation with BioTel is in the patient’s best interests.  Examples include the need for:
    1. Clinical advice or direction.
    2. Physician consultation regarding clinical care or the decision to transport.
    3. Destination determination assistance.
    4. Medication orders or dosage assistance.
    5. Assistance with determination of death or termination of resuscitative efforts.
    6. Possible activation of the Emergency Legal Assistance Program (ELAP).
    7. Consultation with the North Texas Poison Control Center.
    8. Specialty team activation (e.g. Parkland Hospital Trauma Amputation Team).
  3. If the clinical, operational or logistical circumstances do not permit paramedics to directly contact BioTel or the receiving hospital to give a full report, then the medic’s communication center shall be contacted, so that communications personnel may relay basic information to BioTel regarding the condition of the patient, the destination hospital, and the ETA.