How do emergency departments respond to ambulance pre-alert calls? A qualitative exploration of the management of pre-alerts in UK emergency departments

Background Calls to emergency departments (EDs) from ambulances to alert them to a critical case being transported to that facility that requires a special response (‘pre-alerts’) have been shown to improve outcomes for patients requiring immediate time-critical treatment (eg, stroke). However, little is known about their usefulness for other patients and the processes involved in ED responses to them. This study aimed to understand how pre-alerts influence patient care in the ED. Methods We undertook non-participant observation (162 hours, 143 pre-alerts) and semi-structured interviews with staff (n=40) in six UK EDs between August 2022 and April 2023 focusing on how ED staff respond to pre-alert calls and what influences their response. Observation notes and interview transcripts were imported into NVivo and analysed using a thematic approach. Results Pre-alert calls involved significant time and resources for ED staff but they were valued as they enabled staff to prepare for a patient’s arrival (practically and psychologically). High demand and handover delays at ED created additional pre-alerts due to ambulance clinician concerns about the impact of long waits on patients. Despite the risk of pre-alert fatigue from calls for patients considered not to require a special response, ED clinicians appreciated timely pre-alert information, perceiving a higher risk from underalerting than overalerting. Variation in ED response was influenced by individual and organisational factors, particularly the resources available at the time of pre-alert. Unclear ED processes for receiving, documenting and sharing information about pre-alerts increased the risk of information loss. Conclusion Improving processes for receiving and sharing pre-alert information may help ED clinicians prepare appropriately for incoming patients. Alternative routes for ambulance clinicians to seek advice on borderline pre-alert patients may help to improve the appropriateness of pre-alerts. No data are available. The data generated for this study is in the form of confidential transcripts of interviews that are not available for sharing. Participants consented for anonymised quotations to be shared but did not consent to share the full transcripts.