Victorian triple zero (000) call takers will soon be making life-saving decisions using revolutionary artificial intelligence technology to fast-track urgent care to people suffering cardiac arrests.
Minister for Health, Jenny Mikakos said Ambulance Victoria had received $1.71 million from the Government’s Safer Care Victoria Innovation Fund for two groundbreaking new projects.
“The Artificial Intelligence in Cardiac Arrest project will receive $1.36 million to help ESTA (Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority) triple zero operators identify signs of cardiac arrest over the phone” Ms Mikakos said.
“Saving an additional 185 lives each year,” she said.
“The artificial intelligence technology runs in the background of incoming emergency calls and picks up key words, language and sound patterns of the caller that are likely to indicate the patient is having a cardiac arrest,” she said.
Ms Mikakos said Ambulance Victoria was working with Monash University to develop the technology.
She said Ambulance Victoria also received $350,000 to provide mental health-related emergency callers with an option to use SMS to initiate a video call.
“Many people who call triple zero with a mental health concern often end up being transported to an emergency department by ambulance, causing distress and delaying face-to-face specialist care.”
“Ambulance Victoria’s ‘Tele-HELP’ project will facilitate emergency video calls with an experienced mental health nurse,” Ms Mikakos said.
