Image transmission and video live-streaming in emergency medical communication centre: a narrative review of its feasability, use, and impact

TL;DR

This paper reviews how image transmission and video live-streaming can help emergency medical dispatchers make better decisions by providing visual information during calls.

Contribution

The paper provides a narrative review of the feasibility, use, and impact of telemedicine tools in Emergency Medical Communication Centres.

Findings

Image transmission and video live-streaming are feasible and widely accepted by dispatchers and patients.

These tools improve situational awareness and may reduce unnecessary ambulance dispatches.

Impact on triage quality remains to be formally demonstrated.

Abstract

Emergency Medical Communication Centres (EMCC) are responsible for assessing calls, providing pre-arrival instructions, and dispatching resources. Telephone-based triage is limited by the lack of visual information, which may lead to under-triage or over-triage. Telemedicine, including image transmission and video live-streaming has emerged as a complementary tool, but its actual impact in EMCC remains uncertain. We aimed to summarise the existing literature on the feasibility, use and impact of telemedicine using image transmission or video live-streaming in EMCCs.

We conducted a narrative review of the literature from January 2000 to July 2025 using Medline and Web of Science. Eligible studies were randomised controlled trials, prospective or retrospective observational, or qualitative studies conducted in EMCC or equivalent settings, assessing telemedicine through image transmission and video live-streaming. Simulation studies, case reports, reviews, and conference abstracts were excluded.

Twenty studies were included. Feasibility and acceptability were consistently high, with acceptance rates between 86% and 100%. Image transmission and video-live streaming improved situational awareness and provided reassurance for callers, though some dispatchers reported discomfort. Clinical applications included unspecified calls, altered consciousness, seizures, road traffic accidents, minor trauma, dyspnoea, nursing home resident, or when children are involved. Image transmission and video live-streaming were associated with reduced Emergency Medical Service and ambulance dispatching, improved patients orientation in mild trauma, fewer unnecessary transfers from nursing homes and better recognition of severity signs in dyspnoea. Impact on triage quality has yet to be formally demonstrated. Failure rate was reported to range from 2.4% and 30%, mainly due to poor network coverage or technical difficulties.

Image transmission and video live-streaming for emergency triage appear feasible and promising in EMCC. It is generally well accepted by medical dispatchers, paramedics, and patients, who consider it useful. This approach may improve decisions made by medical dispatchers. However, its impact on the quality of triage still needs to be more formally assessed.

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