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Special Ed FRED

Posted Dec 02 2008 9:27pm
FRED (our automatic dispatcher for the FRU's ) has learnt to read!! No seriously!! When a calltaker types in a diagnosis - before they go into the standard questioning, FRED is able to recognise certain words and therefore send an FRU quicker. I have to say it's a very clever idea. So FRED has a list of words he can recognise like chest pain, difficulty breathing, unconscious, fitting etc. For our category A stuff, he can send that little bit quicker, thus getting help to patients who need it the most.

There is one flaw to this plan!! As FRED is still a computer, when we say "read" what we actually mean is he can recognise certain combinations of letters. FRED has misread a number of calls - I'll give you the diagnosis line and I'll let you decide for yourselves what the word was that he recognised!! Have fun!! And remember - he will read the word even if there are letters before and/or after it!

1. Just had a tooth removed - nerve hanging out
2. Pain in ankle - ankle is strapped up
3. Pat has a catheter fitted
4. Hurt shoulder whilst doing breastroke
5. Stabbing pain in leg
6. Vomiting, patient drank too many shots
7. Back has gone whilst changing baby's nappy

Luckily we can still cancel down an FRU so none of these calls got a Cat A response!

FRED has a little while to go before he can take his English GCSE I think!!

And also to any of you have sponsored me for my skydive - thank you from the bottom of my heart. If anyone still wishes to do so - and I hope some of you will find a few pounds for a worthy cause - then the link is on the right hand side.
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