Table 1. Study characteristics—qualitative studies.

Authors (year)	Research aim(s)	Theoretical approach	Method & data collector	Setting	Sample population	Recruitment strategy	Sample size	Inclusion/ Exclusion criteria	Analytic method
Adams, Shakespeare-Finch & Armstrong (2015)	Investigate lived experiences of EDs, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing	IPA	Face-to-face, or telephone, or Skype, semi-structured interviews; first author	Private offices (face-to-face interviews). EDs from three communications centres of one state-wide ambulance service, Australia	Ambulance EMDs	Recruited via email. After 1st nine interviews, participants strategically targeted by region, age & gender	n = 16, 10 women	None reported	IPA
Coxon et al. (2016)	Explore daily working experiences & how EDs manage stressors	No theoretical framework used.	Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews; first author	At worksite, in a quiet room. Single-site, ambulance EDC, South England	Ambulance EDC staff	Purposive sampling	n = 9, 5 women	None reported	Thematic analysis
Forslund, Kihlgren & Kihlgren (2004)	Explore situations EDs find difficult & their reflections of how they manage them	Phenomemo logical- hermeneutic approach	Face-to-face Interviews; not reported	At work-site, in a private room. Single-site, EDC, Sweden	EDC operators	Voluntary with 100% recruitment	n = 16, 10 women	None reported	Phenomeno logical- hermenutic approach
Gallagher & McGilloway (2008)	(1) Assess nature & impact of critical incidents on health & wellbeing, (2) Examine attitudes towards support & explore barriers	No theoretical framework used	Face-to-face Interviews; not reported	Setting of interviews not reported. Large ambulance service dispatch centre, Ireland	EMTs & EDs at ambulance EDC	Volunteers following initial survey	n = 27, 21 EMTs, 6 EDs, gender not reported	None reported	Thematic analysis
Palmer (2014)	Explore stressors faced by wildland fire fighting EDs & coping strategies use	Phenomenology	Face-to-face Interviews; author	Participants’ respective worksites. Multi-site, wildland fire fighter dispatch centre, USA	EDs working with wildland fire fighters	Recruited by phone & email invitation via a list provided by site co-ordinator	n = 11, 6 women	Inclusion criteria: at least one season of previous operational experience as a fire fighter	Phenomeno- logical
Shuler & Sypher (2000)	(1) Explore emotional labour expectations of police EDs, (2) Explore positive functions of emotional labour	Social construction of communication	Case study observation, interviews, & analysis of recorded phone calls; first author	Police EDC, in interview rooms. Single-site, Mid-western USA, mixed urban & rural	Police ED staff (n = 17) & the Director	Not reported	n = 16 EDs, gender not reported	None reported	Open-coding technique
Tracy & Tracy (1998)	(1) Explore emotional experiences of police call takers, (2) Explore the institution’s emotion expression & feeling rules, (3) Explore communicative practices used to cope during & after calls	No theoretical framework used	Case study observation, semi-structured interviews, document analysis; not reported	Single-site Police call centre. Mid-West USA	Police call takers	Not reported	n = 6 call takers, n = 1 police captain, n = 1 call taker trainer, gender not reported	None reported	Constant comparative method

Notes.

Abbreviations

ED

emergency dispatchers

EDC

emergency dispatch centre

EMD

emergency medical dispatchers

EMT

emergency medical technician

IPA

Interpretative Phemonenological Analysis

USA

United States of America