EMD Medical Priority Dispatch System 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which organization developed and is responsible for maintaining the Medical Priority Dispatch System?
- FEMA
- The American Heart Association
- The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) (Correct answer)
- The National EMS Management Association
Correct answer: The International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED)
The IAED (formerly Priority Dispatch Corp) created and continually updates the MPDS protocols based on evidence and field data.
Question 2: In MPDS quality management, what does the acronym 'AQUA' stand for?
- Accredited Quality Assessment (Correct answer)
- Automated Queue Update Algorithm
- Advanced Quality Underwriting Assessment
- Annual Quality Unified Audit
Correct answer: Accredited Quality Assessment
AQUA (Accredited Quality Assessment) is the IAED's framework for evaluating dispatch center quality and granting accreditation.
Question 3: In MPDS quality assurance, what does 'protocol compliance' measure?
- Patients following all pre-arrival instructions correctly
- Ambulances meeting established response time benchmarks
- Dispatchers completing every required protocol step without deviation (Correct answer)
- Hospitals accepting all incoming patients without diversion
Correct answer: Dispatchers completing every required protocol step without deviation
Protocol compliance measures whether the EMD followed all mandatory steps in the MPDS protocol for a given call.
Question 4: In MPDS quality review, a 'sentinel event' most commonly refers to:
- A dispatcher who exceeded all performance goals for the month
- A significant adverse event that requires formal case review and analysis (Correct answer)
- A high-volume period with more than 50 calls per hour
- A positive caller feedback submission praising dispatcher performance
Correct answer: A significant adverse event that requires formal case review and analysis
A sentinel event is an unexpected serious outcome that triggers a thorough review of dispatcher protocol adherence and decision-making.
Question 5: What is the primary role of the Medical Director in relation to MPDS at a dispatch center?
- Responding personally to all cardiac arrest calls in the field
- Driving ambulances to major multi-casualty incidents
- Providing medical oversight, authorizing protocols, and ensuring clinical accountability (Correct answer)
- Handling all psychiatric patient calls personally from the dispatch center
Correct answer: Providing medical oversight, authorizing protocols, and ensuring clinical accountability
The Medical Director oversees clinical quality, approves protocol use, and provides the medical authority for Dispatch Life Support interventions.
Question 6: Which MPDS protocol serves as a general 'catch-all' for patients whose symptoms do not clearly fit a more specific protocol?
- Protocol 6 (Breathing Problems)
- Protocol 9 (Cardiac/Respiratory Arrest)
- Protocol 26 (Sick Person) (Correct answer)
- Protocol 31 (Unconscious/Fainting)
Correct answer: Protocol 26 (Sick Person)
Protocol 26 (Sick Person) is the default protocol for patients who are ill but whose chief complaint does not match a more specific category.
Question 7: What is the primary advantage of MPDS over purely ad hoc, experience-based emergency dispatching?
- Dispatchers never require additional training after initial certification
- Response times are always guaranteed to be under four minutes
- Personal dispatcher judgment is completely eliminated from all decisions
- Consistency, error reduction, and enhanced medico-legal protection for dispatchers and agencies (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Consistency, error reduction, and enhanced medico-legal protection for dispatchers and agencies
Standardized protocols ensure every caller receives consistent, evidence-based assistance and provide dispatchers with a documented, defensible decision framework.
EMD Medical Priority Dispatch System 5
Which organization developed and is responsible for maintaining the Medical Priority Dispatch System?