"I think we should wait and see": A qualitative study of call-takers' decision-making in consultations with patients suffering unrecognized myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: Call-takers face a complex situation when assessing medical problems in emergency medical services calls. Patients with myocardial infarction experiencing atypical symptoms risk misinterpretation. We examined development in call-takers' decision-making process in telephone consultations with patients having imminent myocardial infarction.

METHODS: Recording of 38 calls among 19 patients (two per patient) who contacted Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services (Denmark) at least twice within one week before myocardial infarction diagnosis. The penultimate and last call were compared using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: Call-takers' assessment of the condition changed from unclear symptom picture and dismissal of heart disease in penultimate call to severe condition, not heart-related, and possible heart disease in last call. Call-takers recommended watchful waiting in the penultimate call. Both calls involved response negotiation, while caution regarding misinterpretation was only seen in the penultimate call.

CONCLUSION: Call-takers used different decision-making approaches when the caller's symptom descriptions appeared unclear and not corresponding with the medical understanding of severe conditions. Call-takers did not negotiate the condition's assessment but engaged in discussions about the response choice.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: A protocol to negotiate response choice with callers having unclear clinical conditions should be developed. Clarifying watchful waiting as a recommendation may assist call-takers' decision-making.