
A simulation study in a Vienna shopping centre is testing a new system that allows rescue services to connect via emergency video calls, aiming to provide better support for first responders.
The study – a collaboration between the Vienna Professional Rescue Service, the PULS association, the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Digital Health and Patient Safety, and the Medical University of Vienna – was conducted at the Q19 shopping centre in the 19th district last month and will continue this month.
The research involves 20 control centre staff handling two simulated video and audio emergency calls, made by 80 volunteer participants. The staged emergencies are acted out by professional actors, with a web-based application used for the video calls.
Last year, Vienna’s professional rescue service received over 395,000 emergency calls.
Currently, limited studies show that video emergency calls can significantly improve the quality of guided resuscitation efforts. However, aspects such as the impact of real-time video calls on call duration, accurate medical emergency descriptions, and the acceptance of the technology by both first responders and control centre staff remain unstudied.
“With more than 1,000 emergency calls received daily by the Vienna Emergency Medical Services control centre, efficient processing is vital to provide first responders with the best possible support while optimising the use of emergency services’ resources,” said Christina Hafner, a specialist at MedUni Vienna’s Department of General Anaesthesia, Intensive Care Medicine, and Pain Therapy, and head of the Telemedicine in the Emergency Medical Services research group.
“For us, what the first responders say during the conversation with the control centre is crucial – additional information is essential and can literally save lives,” said Mario Krammel, Chief Physician of the Vienna Professional Rescue Service.
The new system could be particularly helpful for resuscitation efforts. “In cases of cardiac arrest, the probability of survival decreases by 10% every minute, and after around three minutes, irreversible brain damage begins,” said Sebastian Schnaubelt, Managing President of the PULS association. He emphasised the importance of people not being afraid to intervene in such situations.