Emotion displays in ambulance calls for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: A qualitative inquiry of caller and call-taker communication.

Nirukshi Perera, Emogene Aldridge, Marine Riou, Tanya Birnie, Austin Whiteside, Jason Belcher, Stephen Ball, Judith Finn

Australasian Emergency Care · 2026-07-27 · Qualitative study

Read at publisher · PubMed

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Caller emotion influences the flow of emergency ambulance calls for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) however limited research has examined how call-takers manage emotion. We aimed to identify how and where emotion manifests in OHCA calls and how call-takers respond. METHODS: We analysed 107 consecutive OHCA calls to St John Western Australia (January-April 2021) containing emotion-related barriers to bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (B-CPR). Calls were ranked using the Emotional Content and Cooperation Score; 62 calls scoring 4 or 5 were included. We developed a schema of emotion displays, mapped their occurrence in calls, and transcribed call interactions. Conversation Analysis was used to examine interactional patterns. RESULTS: Callers displayed emotion through shouting, crying, "wobbly voice," and impatience (e.g., "just send the ambulance!"). Emotion was heightened at call onset, initial questioning, and when callers had to move the patient for B-CPR. Call-takers managed emotion using directness, boundary-setting, and empathy; sometimes emotion was not explicitly addressed to maintain call progression. CONCLUSIONS: Emotion is a disrupting factor in OHCA calls. Call-takers need a range of strategies to manage emotion according to the contexts in which they arise. Training using real-life call transcripts may enhance call-takers' skills, reducing delays in OHCA recognition and B-CPR.

Abstract © the authors or publisher, via PubMed. Reuse and removal

Tags

Communication & handover · Dispatchers & call takers

Related articles

• Features of Emergency Medical System calls that facilitate or inhibit Emergency Medical Dispatcher recognition that a patient is in, or at imminent risk of, cardiac arrest: A systematic mixed studies review. (Resusc Plus, 2021)
• Help-seeking and barriers to emergency care during out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in public housing areas: a qualitative study. (BMJ Open, 2026)
• "All sorts of colours of emotions": Ambulance call-handlers' perceptions of the barriers to CPR in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. (Resusc Plus, 2025)
• "I think we should wait and see": A qualitative study of call-takers' decision-making in consultations with patients suffering unrecognized myocardial infarction. (Patient Educ Couns, 2024)
• A conversation analytical study of call openings in Emergency Medical Service calls where the patient is at imminent risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. (Resusc Plus, 2024)
• Callers' Descriptions of Stroke Symptoms during Emergency Calls in Victims Who Have Fallen or Been Found Lying Down: A Qualitative Content Analysis. (Healthcare (Basel), 2024)