Emergencies: three questions about the vital but little-known profession of medical dispatch assistant

Unclog hospital emergency services before the end of the year? “It’s not unrealistic or untenable and we’ll get there“, assures François Braun on franceinfo Monday, May 15. The Minister of Health encouraged patients to call 15 for better regulation. The minister announced the launch of a recruitment campaign for medical regulation assistants: “We estimate at 2 or 3,000 positions to be recruited immediately to cover all of this healthcare access service.“, he specifies. The Association of Medical Regulation Assistants (Afarm) denounces a serious lack of recognition of this profession.

>>> Emergencies: the Ministry of Health launches a recruitment campaign in medical regulation centers

• 1 What are the missions of medical regulators?

The medical regulation assistants (ARM) are our first interlocutors when we call 15. On each phone call, they have between 45 seconds and one minute to find out whether the call in question is a medical emergency or not. In the first case, the assistant immediately gives us an emergency doctor on the phone. In the second, he sends us to another interlocutor who will then put us in contact with a doctor. VShe profession has existed for years, but it has only been recognized since 2019.

To be able to become a medical regulator, you have to pass a diploma, divided between theoretical courses and practical internships, which is obtained in one year. The training is accessible just after the baccalaureate, at just 18 years old, but in reality this profession often results from a re-orientation after a first career.

• 2 How are their days organized?

The days are dense. Alexandre Maluga is the co-president of the French Association medical regulation assistants( Afarm) and has worked at the Lyon call center for seven years. He describes to franceinfo a typical day in his center. About ten regulators work during the day and five at night. They have to deal with around 1,500 files every day, which represents between 4,500 and 6,000 calls per day, because three to four calls are needed per file. This average corresponds to ashort day” at the Lyon call center, believes Alexandre Maluga.

These phone calls can come from a young mother who is worried because her baby has not finished her bottle, or from a gardener who has accidentally cut his arm. So you have to be able to analyze very different situations very quickly, have medical knowledge, empathy and have a strong heart too. It is also necessary to be able to guide people on the line so that they can take the first emergency steps, while waiting for help to arrive.

The profession of regulation assistant is very demanding with time constraints. It is sometimes necessary to work on weekends, on public holidays, or during school holidays. All for a salary of 1300 euros net per month.

“We put our lives on hold to help the population and we don’t get recognition.”

Alexandre Maluga, co-president of the Association of regulatory assistants

at franceinfo

• 3 Why launch a recruitment campaign?

The Afarm has been calling for an advertising campaign for several months at the Ministry of Health, while believing that it will not be sufficient to create enough vocations. “It’s just a photo, a somewhat light advertising campaign”regret Alexandre Maluga, co-president of Afarm. “She doesn’t show what medical regulation assistants really do”. It is not a matter of a simple call center.

This profession is currently facing severe shortage of staff. There are currently 2,500 vacancies for medical dispatch assistants in 15 call centers, but 400 to 500 are unfilled, according to Afarm. Some 700 people could be trained each year, but the training is not full. For’association, the reasons for this lack of love can also be explained by the difficulties encountered on a daily basis in order to carry out this training. She estimates that it is sometimes necessary to drive one to two hours to find a centre. This course is also unpaid, not very visible and not available on the Parcoursup platform.

The Afarm is also asking for recognition of the professions of medical regulation assistant supervisors and ARM coordinators so that career progression is possible within the profession and that salaries also increase with responsibilities. Currently, according to Afarm, there is no job description so some supervisors or coordinators do not have higher salaries than the people they supervise or coordinate.