GM's OnStar First Assist became the first non-emergency service, private company to be recognized by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch as a Medical Accredited Center of Excellence today according to a company press release.
OnStar met IAED's 20 points of Accreditation requirements and was praised for its high level of "compliance" with Medical Priority Dispatch System according to the release. MPD is a medically approved standardized protocol that figures out the urgency of a medical emergency and directs advisers to provide the proper medical instructions until first responders arrive.
"This Accreditation puts OnStar in rare company," said Terry Inch, chief operating officer, General Motors Global Connected Consumer according to GM. "The fact that our emergency advisers are able to offer instructions that meet the rigorous standards set by the IAED is a testament to how seriously we take this responsibility to help our customers and how hard these advisers work."
OnStar First Assist allows specially trained OnStar emergency advisers, who are certified by the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch, to provide Emergency Medical Dispatch services to drivers and passengers waiting patiently for medical assistance to show up.
Of the approximate 2,780 agencies that use dispatch system's protocol, only 4.25 percent have achieved accreditation like OnStar according to GM.
"EMD [Advisors] use protocols, they're trained to use protocols, they live in a time-restrictive environment and you have to do it right the first time," said Dr. Jeff Clawson, inventor of MPDS according to the company press release. "The idea of what OnStar is doing is something I would consider a no-brainer. The first person that has access to the patient can make a big difference."
OnStar's First Assist service is used approximately 1,200 times every month. The service has been used for everything from treating a diabetic shock, helping treat a poisonous snake bite, and even helped coach a woman through labor according to GM.
Over the past 17 years, OnStar's emergency advisers have responded to nearly 2 million emergency service calls and have directed numerous first responders to crash and other emergency scenes.
"No other car company is delivering this kind of on-scene, emergency medical dispatch," said Cathy Bishop, global emergency manager, OnStar according to GM. "In many cases, before the car has come to a complete stop during a crash, we're connected and giving assistance."
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