Medical emergency? New software creates clarity
27.06.2018 15:20
Where should I go if I have acute symptoms? This is the question patients face when they need medical help. A call to the medical on-call service on number 116117 provides clarity and will soon be even more precise thanks to new software. The software is used to ask the patient questions and assess his or her symptoms. The software called SmED (Structured Medical Initial Assessment Procedure for Germany) is used to support dispatchers and can be used wherever patients appear seeking help, for example in on-call practices.
“SmED is an important component in the program of the statutory health insurance associations in order to offer patients with the number 116117 a contact point around the clock for acute complaints. The standardized procedure enables a reliable recommendation as to who actually needs to visit a hospital emergency room. The remaining patients seeking advice should be referred as directly as possible to where they can best be helped. This can also be a final telephone medical consultation. By investing in improved telephone accessibility, the statutory health insurance associations and practicing doctors are making an important additional contribution to ensuring this. The aim is to relieve the burden on hospitals and on-call practices from so-called false emergencies,” says Dr. Stephan Hofmeister, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV).
“SmED is based on an already established evidence-based system with which patient complaints can be assessed in terms of their urgency and the right level of care to further clarify their concerns. Patients receive a specific recommendation, such as: go to the hospital immediately, an appointment with a general practitioner is sufficient, or home remedies provide relief. In addition to classifying the symptoms, SmED also offers documentation for subsequent treatment,” explains Dr. Dominik von Stillfried, Managing Director of the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance (Zi).
The Zi has set up a medical advisory board for adaptation and further development. Not only general practitioners and specialists are represented there, but also doctors working in hospitals through the Marburger Bund, the German Society for Interdisciplinary Emergency and Acute Medicine (DGINA) and the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI).
From the first quarter of 2019, SmED will be evaluated and continuously improved in everyday use in the area of eleven statutory health insurance associations. The Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) is funding a corresponding evaluation project led by the aQua Institute. SmED will also be available via the Zi to all associations of statutory health insurance physicians, who can use it in their telephone switching centers and in on-call practices. Hospitals can also license the software.