EMD Medical Priority Dispatch System 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the first piece of information a dispatcher must obtain during MPDS Case Entry?
- The patient's age
- The caller's name
- The location or address of the emergency (Correct answer)
- The patient's breathing status
Correct answer: The location or address of the emergency
Confirming the location is the very first Case Entry step so units can be dispatched even if the call is suddenly lost.
Question 2: Which specific Case Entry question in MPDS assesses the patient's level of consciousness?
- 'Are they having trouble breathing?'
- 'Are they completely awake?' (Correct answer)
- 'Can they stand on their own?'
- 'Are they in severe pain?'
Correct answer: 'Are they completely awake?'
'Are they completely awake?' directly evaluates the patient's consciousness level and helps determine call urgency.
Question 3: What term in MPDS describes the primary reason a caller is requesting emergency assistance?
- Presenting diagnosis
- Dispatch narrative
- Chief complaint (Correct answer)
- Primary impression
Correct answer: Chief complaint
The chief complaint is the main problem or symptom reported by the caller and drives the selection of the correct MPDS protocol.
Question 4: Why do MPDS dispatchers ask callers 'Are you with the patient right now?'
- To verify the caller's location for billing purposes
- To determine whether the caller can observe and accurately report the patient's current condition (Correct answer)
- To decide whether police should be sent before EMS
- To assess whether the caller requires psychological support
Correct answer: To determine whether the caller can observe and accurately report the patient's current condition
Knowing the caller is physically present with the patient ensures the information provided is current and firsthand.
Question 5: When a caller's chief complaint does not clearly match any specific MPDS protocol, which protocol should be selected?
- Protocol 6 (Breathing Problems)
- Protocol 26 (Sick Person)
- Protocol 31 (Unconscious/Fainting)
- Protocol 32 (Unknown Problem) (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Protocol 32 (Unknown Problem)
Protocol 32 (Unknown Problem) is used when the caller cannot describe the problem or the symptoms are genuinely unclear.
Question 6: What is the correct sequence for the opening steps of MPDS Case Entry?
- Age → address → callback number → chief complaint
- Chief complaint → address → callback number → age
- Address → callback number → chief complaint → age and consciousness/breathing status (Correct answer)
- Callback number → age → chief complaint → address
Correct answer: Address → callback number → chief complaint → age and consciousness/breathing status
MPDS Case Entry begins with address and callback number to enable dispatch, then gathers the chief complaint and patient status questions.
Question 7: In MPDS, what is the purpose of asking 'Tell me exactly what happened'?
- To complete the patient's full medical history before dispatching units
- To stall the caller until a supervisor becomes available
- To identify the chief complaint so the correct protocol can be selected (Correct answer)
- To determine whether to automatically upgrade the response level
Correct answer: To identify the chief complaint so the correct protocol can be selected
This open-ended question elicits the chief complaint from the caller, which is essential for selecting the correct MPDS protocol.
EMD Medical Priority Dispatch System 3
What is the first piece of information a dispatcher must obtain during MPDS Case Entry?