Consultant and Liaison

Table of Contents

According to the ACS-COT (2014), the role of the TPM is to, “stabilize the complex network of the many disciplines that work in concert to provide high-quality care. Serve as an internal resource for staff in all departments, and act as a liaison for EMS agencies” (p. 43).

The size of the facility’s network will vary, but trauma programs will at one point or another come into contact with Emergency Medical Services (either based in-hospital or out-of-hospital), the Emergency Department, the Laboratory Department, and the Radiology Department included in their network.  Examples of other disciplines in the trauma network may include, but is not limited to, the Surgical Department, Anesthesia, Orthopedic Surgery, Neurosurgery, the Critical Care Department, the Medical/Surgical Department, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Case Management, Administration, and Social Work.  It is the job of the TPM to assure that these disciplines are communicating needs, educating staff, and working as a cohesive unit to assure the delivery of high-quality evidence-based trauma care to each injured patient across the continuum.

The TPM should educate him or herself on the most up-to-date practice guidelines in trauma care.  Increasing the network of the TPM and reaching out to other TPMs in the state will help to establish a base of support.  Belonging to state and nationwide organizations will increase the TPM’s exposure to high-quality trauma care initiatives and provide opportunities for benchmarking.  This will serve the TPM well and guide him or her to becoming a reliable resource for the trauma network. These organizations include, but are not limited to:

When establishing a relationship with EMS personnel, the TPM should first find out which Emergency Medical Services (EMS) transport to and from the facility.  It is important to develop a close working relationship with the service directors of those services, instead of approaching the individuals providing direct care. Service directors should be approached for performance improvement initiatives and loop closure by the TPM. Run reports (the incident report of the EMS interaction with the trauma patient before arriving at the hospital) are required, in the state of Iowa, to be provided to the receiving hospital within 24 hours of a patient being transported to the trauma care facility.  The hospital staff should communicate with their TPM and the TPM should have discussions with the service director about what form the run reports should be submitted.  Run reports can either be submitted in a paper or electronic form.  A compromise should be made, which includes input from both sides, on which form will be the best and most convenient for both parties involved.  Serving as a liaison to EMS can increase the trust between the two organizations and build bridges for the future.  Many EMS have excellent community outreach activities and if the facility has limited resources for outreach, establishing a relationship with those services can help the hospital accomplish its outreach goals and initiatives.