Contact information
Type
Scientific
Primary contact
Dr Raphael van Tulder
ORCID ID
Contact details
Waehringerguertel 18-20
Vienna
1090
Austria
+43 (0)1 40400 1964
raphael.van-tulder@meduniwien.ac.at
Additional identifiers
EudraCT number
ClinicalTrials.gov number
Protocol/serial number
N/A
Study information
Scientific title
Intrahospital first medical contact (iFMC) to electrocardiogram (ECG): a randomised, controlled, interventional study on an organisational level
Acronym
Study hypothesis
Intrahospital first medical contact (iFMC) to electrocardiogram (ECG) time is influenced by implementing structural changes.
Ethics approval
Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Vienna approved on the 10th August 2010
Study design
Randomised controlled interventional trial
Primary study design
Interventional
Secondary study design
Randomised controlled trial
Trial setting
Hospitals
Trial type
Treatment
Patient information sheet
Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Condition
Acute myocardial infarction
Intervention
The intervention is the availability of a dedicated ECG technician. In the control group no ECG technician is available. The availability of the ECG technician is randomised. There are three 8-hour ECG technician shifts per day. The shifts (morning, day, night) are equally distributed. The ECG technician rota is concealed. Clinical staff is informed about availablity of ECG technician by an alert sign at triage and registration counter. If available the ECG technician is alerted by phone. Study period is set for four weeks.
Intervention type
Other
Phase
Not Applicable
Drug names
Primary outcome measure
Time from arrival to ECG, defined as presentation to triage, which is called intrahospital first medical contact (iFMC). This timepoint is noted on the triagesheet by nursing staff.
Secondary outcome measures
1. Number of ECGs
2. Staff satisfaction
3. Feasibility, measured by a questionnaire
Overall trial start date
23/08/2010
Overall trial end date
23/09/2010
Reason abandoned (if study stopped)
Eligibility
Participant inclusion criteria
All patients (adults, either sex) receiving an ECG recording at the out-patient clinic of the Emergency Department (ED) at the Medical University of Vienna (MUW).
Participant type
Patient
Age group
Adult
Gender
Both
Target number of participants
800
Participant exclusion criteria
1. All patients diagnosed to have myocardial infarction transferred to CathLab by Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
2. All patients bypassing triage for different reasons
Recruitment start date
23/08/2010
Recruitment end date
23/09/2010
Locations
Countries of recruitment
Austria
Trial participating centre
Waehringerguertel 18-20
Vienna
1090
Austria
Sponsor information
Organisation
Medical University of Vienna (Austria)
Sponsor details
c/o Associate Professor Harald Herkner
MD
MSc
Clinical Epidemiologist
Department of Emergency Medicine
Waehringer Guertel 18-20
Vienna
1090
Austria
Sponsor type
Hospital/treatment centre
Website
Funders
Funder type
Hospital/treatment centre
Funder name
Medical University of Vienna (Austria) - Department of Emergency Medicine
Alternative name(s)
Funding Body Type
Funding Body Subtype
Location
Results and Publications
Publication and dissemination plan
Not provided at time of registration
Intention to publish date
Participant level data
Not provided at time of registration
Basic results (scientific)
Publication list
1. 2012 results in http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22463965
Publication citations
-
Results
van Tulder R, Roth D, Weiser C, Heidinger B, Herkner H, Schreiber W, Havel C, An electrocardiogram technician improves in-hospital first medical contact-to-electrocardiogram times: a cluster randomized controlled interventional trial., Am J Emerg Med, 2012, 30, 9, 1729-1736, doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2012.01.029.