IXP has incorporated the latest tool from the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED) for Emerging Infectious Disease Surveillance (SRI/MERS/Ebola) at ChatComm in Georgia. The dispatchers have added a layer of questions in an effort to screen callers for symptoms and risk factors of Ebola. This protocol will allow emergency responders to be prepared to protect themselves before responders arrive on the scene, and for local area hospitals to prepare themselves for a potential Ebola patient. This tool and process has been incorporated into the standard operating procedures for the center.
Coordination among ChatComm, the EMS system, healthcare facilities, and the public health system is vitally important when responding to callers seeking medical help.