How AngelTrack can allow crew members, with certain permissions at certain times, to dispatch themselves
Unattended dispatch mode allows your crews to run pre-assigned calls throughout the night and on weekends, without ever interacting with a dispatcher.
AngelTrack does not normally allow crews to close their own dispatches, or set or change their destinations, as these events would normally merit a call to the dispatch office. Unattended mode removes this restriction.
Uses and Benefits
Unattended dispatch mode does three things:
- It allows crew members to set (or change) their destination by choosing from AngelTrack's list of hospital ER facilities;
- It allows crew members to attach additional crew members to a call, using the PCR-Crew page, without calling the dispatch office;
- It allows crews to close their own calls once they are back in service... rather than calling their dispatcher for these events; and
- It automatically closes any shift record that is two hours* beyond its appointed end-time, as long as the shift has no more active calls assigned.
Unattended mode is for use during nights and weekends when there is no dispatcher in the office. Before leaving for the night, the dispatcher pre-assigns the calls throughout the evening and through the night, or throughout the weekend. The crews will run each call when it activates, closing it (using their mobile device) after finishing transport and returning to service.
Because crews can close their own dispatches, and because they can see their upcoming pre-assigned calls on their Crew Home page, they have no need to contact a dispatcher. Of course if something went wrong they would simply call a supervisor.
*The two-hour cutoff for automatic end of shifts is configurable; visit the Preferences item on the Settings page to change it.
Only the primary responder's crew members can self-close a dispatch
If there are multiple responders, the secondary (non-transporting) crews are not permitted to close out the call; only the crew members onboard the primary (transporting) responder have that privilege... unless the secondary crew is the only remaining active responder (i.e. a dispatcher clears the primary responder back in service), in which case they can then close the call.
If transport does not occur, then the primary responder is whichever crew was the first to be assigned to the call.
Activating and Deactivating
To use this feature, it must first be allowed by the AngelTrack administrator, who must visit the Preferences page under Settings and tick the ☑ Unattended Dispatch Allowed checkbox, then save.
Once the mode is allowed, all dispatchers will see this checkbox at the top-right corner of the dispatch board:
The checkbox can be clicked by any dispatcher, captain, or administrator. Once clicked, it functions systemwide; therefore if one dispatcher clicks the checkbox, all other dispatchers will see it change on their own dispatch boards.
When unattended dispatch mode is active, the checkbox turns red, to remind the dispatchers to deactivate it.
"Best Effort" Situations
The crew does not have the ability to cancel their call, or close it early as "best effort". Instead, calls closed by crews are always marked "as ordered".
However, if the crew then fills out the follow-up and gives a patient disposition indicating that transport was not provided, the PCR will present them with the Resolve This Conflict screen:
Based on their response to that screen, their call will be marked "best effort" as appropriate. To learn more about "best effort" and call completion, read the Call Completion Guide.
Unattended Mode All the Time
If you decide that your operation can run smoothly with crews setting and changing their destinations, and without calling dispatch when they're back in service, then feel free to use unattended dispatch mode all the time. The decision is up to you. AngelTrack does not mind either way. Leaving Unattended Mode enabled has no effect on the PCR, or QA review, or the billing workflow.
Allowing Night Crews to Take Calls and Self Dispatch
If you wish to allow your night crew(s) to answer the dispatch phone, book calls, and dispatch themselves, you can do so.
The crew members who answer the phone and book calls in AngelTrack must be members of the Call-taker role, which you can set by visiting the "Roles" tab of their Employee Edit page.
They must be trained in how to book a dispatch in AngelTrack... with special attention paid to the importance of finding and attaching the relevant facility and patient records, so as not to create duplicates.
Once that's done, the crew members will have access to a few of the dispatch areas of AngelTrack, and all the privileges they need to self-dispatch, same as though AngelTrack's Self-Dispatch PCR mode were active. For example, at the bottom of the Dispatch Create page, AngelTrack will offer them a self-assign option:
That checkbox will only be available if they are on a shift that is qualified to take the call, according to the normal rules. If they are not, then after they save the new dispatch, AngelTrack will offer them the ability to put themself on shift, choosing a vehicle and crewmates and then taking the new call.
Call-taker crew members always be able to close out dispatches which they have assigned to themselves, even if Unattended Mode is not enabled.
Crews Can Set or Change Their Destinations
Crews can visit the Hospital ER List page to set or change the destination of their currently active dispatch, but only under the following circumstances:
- Unattended mode is enabled; or
- The crew member is an Administrator; or
- The crew member is a Dispatcher; or
- The crew member is a Call-taker.
The Hospital ER List page is linked from the bottom of the Crew Run Call page, and crews can keep it open in a separate browser tab. The ER list shows all of AngelTrack's facility records that are marked as type "Hospital - Emergency room". If a facility record has GPS coordinates on-file, then a "Set as Destination" button will appear with it, which the crew can click.
Full Self-Dispatch PCR Mode
If you have no dispatch office at all, and want to allow your crews to fully self-dispatch, then consider using AngelTrack's Self-Dispatch PCR mode. Activating it is the same as granting call-taker access to all of your crew members. To learn more, read the Self-Dispatch PCR Mode Guide.