Prehospital time indicators before and after the implementation of an electronic information management system (EIMS): a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: The prehospital emergency system faces significant challenges, including a lack of coordination, primarily due to poor communication of information. An electronic information management system (EIMS) was introduced in Iran to improve coordination. Objectives: This study aims to assess the impact of the system on the time indicators in prehospital emergency services in Kermanshah, Iran. Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in 2022, time indicators were compared for 900 PCRs: 450 from the paper-based system (2016–2017) and 450 from the electronic PCR system (2017–2018). The time indicatorsincluded dispatch, filed, and hospital time indicators. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Results: The triage time (94.1 ± 40.3 s) and delay time (111.9 ± 58.8 s) were significantly longer than the standard times (90 and 75 s, respectively). In the paper-based system, response (8.07 ± 3.6 min), scene (16.3 ± 8.2 min), and transportation times (13.07 ± 8.3 min) were shorter, than those in the EIMS: response (11.0 ± 6.3 min), scene (17.9 ± 9.3 min), and transportation (16.7 ± 12.06 min) times in EIMS (p