Narrative:

While at cruise we were contacted by a flight attendant that a passenger had forgotten to bring an allergy medication and was starting to become uneasy because she was allergic to many things and was starting to react to something which affected her breathing. We received a medical form and after consulting the QRH we initiated the procedure outlined in that document. While the procedure worked as advertised and everyone answered in a timely fashion; the service we provided was inadequate because of our inability to communication clearly and consistently. Both parties had difficulty understanding each other; and at times we simply were unable to communicate and had to work to re-establish communications. Especially when it came to the instructions from the company physician for us to pass along; I felt uncomfortable with the accuracy of what was said even after asking for it to be read again. I finally communicated that I wanted the company physician to communicate the information to the dispatcher; who then ACARS'ed a hard copy to us clearly instructing us what information to pass along. (We had a physician on board assisting.) this worked well! Unfortunately; in a time when we are being cautioned about being off frequency leaving a single pilot to fly the aircraft; the inadequacies of this system took 1 pilot out of the loop for about 45 mins. A major fix is needed! A full size keyboard that could utilize the ACARS would have been significantly faster and provided concise information to the medical people in a timely manner. Better yet would be a system which would allow the flight attendants to directly communicate with medical and let the pilots concern themselves with the flight of the aircraft and a possible diversion. To my knowledge there were minimal medical problems as a result this time; only the revelation that this system is woefully inadequate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY COMMUNICATING WITH COMPANY MEDICAL PERSONNEL WHILE SEEKING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FOR A PAX.

Narrative: WHILE AT CRUISE WE WERE CONTACTED BY A FLT ATTENDANT THAT A PAX HAD FORGOTTEN TO BRING AN ALLERGY MEDICATION AND WAS STARTING TO BECOME UNEASY BECAUSE SHE WAS ALLERGIC TO MANY THINGS AND WAS STARTING TO REACT TO SOMETHING WHICH AFFECTED HER BREATHING. WE RECEIVED A MEDICAL FORM AND AFTER CONSULTING THE QRH WE INITIATED THE PROC OUTLINED IN THAT DOCUMENT. WHILE THE PROC WORKED AS ADVERTISED AND EVERYONE ANSWERED IN A TIMELY FASHION; THE SVC WE PROVIDED WAS INADEQUATE BECAUSE OF OUR INABILITY TO COM CLEARLY AND CONSISTENTLY. BOTH PARTIES HAD DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING EACH OTHER; AND AT TIMES WE SIMPLY WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE AND HAD TO WORK TO RE-ESTABLISH COMS. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT CAME TO THE INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE COMPANY PHYSICIAN FOR US TO PASS ALONG; I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE ACCURACY OF WHAT WAS SAID EVEN AFTER ASKING FOR IT TO BE READ AGAIN. I FINALLY COMMUNICATED THAT I WANTED THE COMPANY PHYSICIAN TO COMMUNICATE THE INFO TO THE DISPATCHER; WHO THEN ACARS'ED A HARD COPY TO US CLEARLY INSTRUCTING US WHAT INFO TO PASS ALONG. (WE HAD A PHYSICIAN ON BOARD ASSISTING.) THIS WORKED WELL! UNFORTUNATELY; IN A TIME WHEN WE ARE BEING CAUTIONED ABOUT BEING OFF FREQ LEAVING A SINGLE PLT TO FLY THE ACFT; THE INADEQUACIES OF THIS SYS TOOK 1 PLT OUT OF THE LOOP FOR ABOUT 45 MINS. A MAJOR FIX IS NEEDED! A FULL SIZE KEYBOARD THAT COULD UTILIZE THE ACARS WOULD HAVE BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER AND PROVIDED CONCISE INFO TO THE MEDICAL PEOPLE IN A TIMELY MANNER. BETTER YET WOULD BE A SYS WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH MEDICAL AND LET THE PLTS CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THE FLT OF THE ACFT AND A POSSIBLE DIVERSION. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE WERE MINIMAL MEDICAL PROBS AS A RESULT THIS TIME; ONLY THE REVELATION THAT THIS SYS IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.