TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Traffic Accidents in Crete (1996-2006): the Role of the Emergency Coordination Center
JO  - Studies in health technology and informatics
A1  - Vourvahakis, Dimitris
A1  - Chronaki, Catherine E.
A1  - Kontoyiannis, Vasilis
A1  - Panagopoulos, Demosthenis
A1  - Stergiopoulos, Spyros
SP  - 505
EP  - 509
VL  - 160
IS  - Pt 1
N2  - The general decline in traffic accidents throughout Europe is not the case for Crete, a favorite holiday destination. The extent of problem and reflections on the significant impact of the interplay of organizational, educational, & technological interventions by the Emergency Coordination Center of Crete (ECC-Crete) are presented. 10-year data from 1996-2006 have been analyzed revealing demographic, topological, and qualitative issues of traffic accidents in Grete. Primary source of data is 315000 emergency calls answered by ECC-Crete. Over this 10 year period, ECC-Crete gradually employed advanced medical technologies and electronic protocol-based handling in all phases of an emergency episode contributing to its timely and effective management. GIS/GPS technology and telemetry for biosignals in ambulances, up-to-date triage protocols combined with incidence analysis provide vital information for continuous process improvement. In 2000-2006, process improvement due to technological and organizational changes has led to increased efficiency. The mean reduction was ~75% in dispatch time, ~50% in the time at accident scene for metropolitan areas, and ~75% in time at the emergency ward, mainly due to medical interventions on site.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0926-9630
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -