Abstract

Background: Telephone care assessment (TCA) by a nurse have shown to reduce the number of emergency department (ED) visits and emergency medical services missions (EMS). The present study aimed to describe satisfaction among patients with non-urgent prehospital medical issues that were transferred to TCA instead of receiving EMS. These results could provide a basis for developing the telephone services and emergency care pathways.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 765 patients with non-urgent issues that were transferred to a telephone care assessment, after a risk and urgency assessment by an emergency medical communications operator. One week later, patient satisfaction was evaluated in a structured telephone interview with randomized patients.

Results: 127 telephone interviews were completed. Most patients (70.9–85.0%) were highly satisfied with the telephone care assessment. In particular, patients who were unsure of the urgency of their own health condition and the need for EMS, were highly satisfied (95.3%). Patients that received EMS after the telephone care assessment were more satisfied than those that received telephone guidance or those directed to other health care services (91.4% vs. 65.5% vs. 67.9%, p = 0.002).

Conclusions: Patients with non-urgent prehospital emergency issues were mainly satisfied with telephone care assessment. In considering ways to reduce the increasing load on emergency medical services, a telephone care assessment could be a good option, without reducing patient satisfaction.