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Non-transport emergency medical service missions : a retrospective study based on medical charts |
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| Author: | Pekanoja, S.1; Hoikka, M.2; Kyngäs, H.3; |
| Organizations: |
1Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland 2Division of Intensive Care Department of Anaesthesiology Medical Research Centre Research Unit of Surgery, Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Oulu University Hospital University of Oulu Oulu Finland 3Research Unit of Nursing Science and Health Management, Medical Research Centre, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland |
| Format: | article |
| Version: | accepted version |
| Access: | open |
| Online Access: | PDF Full Text (PDF, 0.5 MB) |
| Persistent link: | http://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi-fe2019090226273 |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
John Wiley & Sons,
2018
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| Publish Date: | 2019-09-02 |
| Description: |
AbstractBackground: In Finland, approximately 40% of emergency medical service (EMS) missions do not result in transport of the patient to a hospital by ambulance, and there is wide variability in the reasons underlying non‐transport decisions. The aim of this study was to describe the context of these EMS non‐transport missions. Methods: The data were collected retrospectively between 3 September and 20 October 2014 by investigating non‐transport EMS charts (n = 1154). Event information and patients′ main symptoms were extracted from information found in EMS charts and quantified using content and statistical analyses. Results: Patients’ need for EMS were explained by various reasons. One‐third of the missions were caused by organ‐specific symptoms, whereas in 30.8% of cases the reason for EMS was unspecified. Sudden onset symptoms were noted for 38.4% of the cases, whereas in 14.7% of cases the symptoms had persisted for days or weeks before EMS contact. EMS personnel offered guidance instead of treatment in 79.2% of the missions. Conclusions: Non‐transport missions represent a significant daily work load for the EMS. Although most of the symptoms showed acute onset, the majority of these missions involved only assessment of medical necessity and/or guidance without any medical treatment. It is questionable whether this use of the EMS is cost‐effective for any healthcare system. see all
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| Series: |
Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica |
| ISSN: | 0001-5172 |
| ISSN-E: | 1399-6576 |
| ISSN-L: | 0001-5172 |
| Volume: | 62 |
| Issue: | 5 |
| Pages: | 701 - 708 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/aas.13071 |
| OADOI: | https://oadoi.org/10.1111/aas.13071 |
| Type of Publication: |
A1 Journal article – refereed |
| Field of Science: |
316 Nursing 3126 Surgery, anesthesiology, intensive care, radiology |
| Subjects: | |
| Copyright information: |
© 2018 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Pekanoja, S., Hoikka, M., Kyngäs, H., & Elo, S. (2018). Non-transport emergency medical service missions - a retrospective study based on medical charts. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica, 62(5), 701–708. https://doi.org/10.1111/aas.13071, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/aas.13071. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving. |