Priority Dispatch Corporation’s MPDS Version 12.1 Features New Stroke Diagnostic Tool

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Priority Dispatch Corp. is pleased to announce the availability of a Stroke Diagnostic Tool as part of the recently released Medical Priority Dispatch System™ (MPDS®) version 12.1.

The latest release of dispatching guidelines developed by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (NAED™) is available in both cardset and ProQA® electronic formats, with slight exceptions as described in the following information.

The Stroke Diagnostic Tool, triggered in Protocol 28: Stroke (CVA) Key Questions, enables more accurate evaluation and identification of acute stroke patients, which is vital when distinguishing patients suitable for immediate response without delay. Twelve Determinant Suffixes added to Protocol 28 reflect the tool’s recommendation and aid in pinpointing specific symptoms most predictive of stroke.

Other revisions to the MPDS include the addition of Protocol 37 for an interfacility transfer specific to medically-trained callers. A special Academy task force designed the new protocol as an alternative to Protocol 33, allowing dispatchers to minimize Key Questions regarding patient evaluation. Protocol 37 is only available in ProQA.

MPDS users will also note the shift of Diagnostic Question 4 to position 1 in the Aspirin Diagnostic and Instructions Tool and a new suffix “Y = Self-inflicted stab” in Protocol 27 to enhance responder safety information when shunting from Protocol 25. In addition, the updated MPDS moves dispatch up on Protocols 6 and 10 (in ProQA only) for patients that require critical care. If the patient is not alert or is having difficulty speaking between breaths, dispatch now occurs immediately after the Key Question “Does s/he have difficulty speaking (crying) between breaths?”

Agencies with a current Extended Service Plan (ESP) will receive the v12.1 update at no additional charge. The MPDS v12.1 update package will include the Update Guide, which outlines each of the improvements to the protocol in detail, and three Special Procedures Briefings from the Aspirin Diagnostic and Instruction Tool, the Stroke Diagnostic Tool, and Protocol 37: Interfacility Evaluation/Transfer.

Since MPDS version 12.0 was released in July 2008, more than 2,000 users of the previous version have successfully updated their protocols to the current standard of dispatch care and practice. The Academy encourages all users to begin the process of updating as soon as possible to avoid the extended use of outdated, obsolete, and/or unsupported medical care and dispatch processes.

For more information or to watch an online streaming demonstration of MPDS ProQA software, visit www.prioritydispatch.net or call (800) 363-9127. To learn more about the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch, visit www.emergencydispatch.org or call (800) 960-6236.