DIVING

2. Dive Injuries
Section 2. Dive Injuries
2.1 DAN Medical Services Call Center (MSCC)
Daniel A. Nord, James Chimiak, Stefanie D. Martina, Brittany M. Trout, Matias Nochetto, and Petar J. Denoble
DAN was originally established to provide assistance for divers in need of recompression therapy. Medical Services was
the primary operating department as it fulfilled the DAN mission by communicating with divers in need of assistance or
information. However, that task has grown over the years to include a broader range of responsibilities. Medical Services
now offers consultation to medical professionals providing care for injured divers, and helps with DAN efforts on injury
prevention, education (i.e. through the medical information lines), as well as research data collection.
The MSCC database is a single web-based application on a secured server which allows medics (case managers) and
physicians to document medical inquiries, emergency calls, physicians and chamber referrals. The application is vital
to the DAN medical mission and has existed in various forms since DAN’s inception. The web-based form was first
introduced in 2005 and has improved over time with several iterations. The MSCC serves two fundamental purposes:
documentation and data collection. First, documentation answers medical-legal needs and provides a record showing
what’s been done and what’s been said. But most importantly, it is an electronic record which enables communication of
information relevant for case management between everyone involved in patient care. This communication can include
time critical coordination of healthcare facilities, healthcare providers, expert consultants, air ambulance, recompression
facilities, embassy personnel and even search/rescue that can be on opposite sides of world. Documentation also supports
Quality Assurance reviews, allowing us to continuously learn and improve our services.
Table 2.1-1 presents the volume of calls and services provided. In a four year period there were 51,745 calls or emails
requesting some assistance, information or consultation. The medical staff answered more than 15,600 calls to the
emergency line and more than 36,000 medical information calls and e-mails. Cases range from predictable dive issues
anywhere in the world to the unique, including even non-diving scenarios. Figure 2.1-5 shows graphically the volume of
calls. While email and information calls seem to have similar volumes in the reported four year period, emergency call
volume appears to be increasing continuously and doubling in a four year period.
Table 2.1-1 Volume of calls in 2010-2013
Source 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total
Information Line 5727 6266 5923 5556 23,472
Emergency Line 2518 3493 4382 5047 15,627
E-mail 3470 3444 2758 3161 12,833
Totals: 11,715 13,203 13,063 13,764 51,745
Annual Diving Report – 2012-2015 Edition
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