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Menendez K, Curie R, Bales T, Greenfield K, Moore KA. EMS Paramedics and Law Enforcement Officers' Experiences with Joint-Response Efforts on Suspected Opioid Overdose Calls: A Qualitative Study. J Behav Health Serv Res 2024:10.1007/s11414-024-09895-2. [PMID: 39078563 DOI: 10.1007/s11414-024-09895-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
In the United States, the opioid crisis remains a nationwide public health emergency. Narcan laws have increased medical collaboration between emergency medical services (EMS) paramedics and law enforcement officers (LEOs), yet research on joint opioid-response efforts with these first responders remains underexplored. Using a phenomenological approach, this study explores EMS paramedics and LEOs' experiences with joint-response efforts on suspected opioid overdose calls amidst the ongoing opioid crisis. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 first responders (n = 8 EMS paramedics; n = 6 LEOs) from a large Central Florida emergency services district covering urban, suburban, and rural areas. Four major themes emerged: (1) facilitators to joint-response efforts; (2) barriers to joint-response efforts; (3) concerns for patient co-occurring behavioral health conditions; and (4) perceived solutions. Overall, participants described mutual respect, reliance, and communication as key facilitators, while barriers included conflicting on-scene priorities and differences in Narcan protocols. Concerns for co-occurring behavioral health (i.e., addiction and mental health) conditions among overdose patients included difficulties in assessing mental health and the availability of wraparound services, yet these concerns remained secondary to medical treatment during an opioid-related emergency. Key solutions included enhanced Narcan training for LEOs and increased availability of behavioral health services for long-term patient care. This research contributes to existing literature on opioid overdose response by specifically examining joint-response efforts between EMS paramedics and LEOs. These findings may be applicable to other partnering agencies such as mental health crisis teams and should be explored across behavioral health collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Menendez
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Riley Curie
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Tracy Bales
- Department of Child and Family Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kelsey Greenfield
- Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Kathleen A Moore
- Department of Mental Health Law and Policy, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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Dong X, Ding F, Zhou S, Ma J, Li N, Maimaitiming M, Xu Y, Guo Z, Jia S, Li C, Luo S, Bian H, Luobu G, Yuan Z, Shi H, Zheng ZJ, Jin Y, Huo Y. Optimizing an Emergency Medical Dispatch System to Improve Prehospital Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Coronary Syndrome: Nationwide Retrospective Study in China. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e36929. [DOI: 10.2196/36929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is the most time-sensitive acute cardiac event that requires rapid dispatching and response. The medical priority dispatch system (MPDS), one of the most extensively used types of emergency dispatch systems, is hypothesized to provide better-quality prehospital emergency treatment. However, few studies have revealed the impact of MPDS use on the process of ACS care.
Objective
This study aimed to investigate whether the use of MPDS was associated with higher prehospital diagnosis accuracy and shorter prehospital delay for patients with ACS transferred by an emergency medical service (EMS), using a national database in China.
Methods
This retrospective analysis was based on an integrated database of China’s MPDS and hospital registry. From January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020, EMS-treated ACS cases were divided into before MPDS and after MPDS groups in accordance with the MPDS launch time at each EMS center. The primary outcomes included diagnosis consistency between hospital admission and discharge, and prehospital delay. Multivariable logistic regression and propensity score–matching analysis were performed to compare outcomes between the 2 groups for total ACS and subtypes.
Results
A total of 9806 ACS cases (3561 before MPDS and 6245 after MPDS) treated by 43 EMS centers were included. The overall diagnosis consistency of the after MPDS group (Cohen κ=0.918, P<.001) was higher than that of the before MPDS group (Cohen κ=0.889, P<.001). After the use of the MPDS, the call-to-EMS arrival time was shortened in the matched ACS cases (20.0 vs 16.0 min, P<.001; adjusted difference: –1.67, 95% CI –2.33 to –1.02; P<.001) and in the subtype of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (adjusted difference: –3.81, 95% CI –4.63 to –2.98, P<.001), while the EMS arrival-to-door time (20.0 vs 20.0 min, P=.31) was not significantly different in all ACS cases and subtypes.
Conclusions
The optimized use of MPDS in China was associated with increased diagnosis consistency and a reduced call-to-EMS arrival time among EMS-treated patients with ACS. An emergency medical dispatch system should be designed specifically to fit into different prehospital modes in the EMS system on a regional basis.
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Bauer C, Champagne-Langabeer T, Bakos-Block C, Zhang K, Persse D, Langabeer JR. Patterns and risk factors of opioid-suspected EMS overdose in Houston metropolitan area, 2015-2019: A Bayesian spatiotemporal analysis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0247050. [PMID: 33705402 PMCID: PMC7951926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid-related overdose deaths are the top accidental cause of death in the United States, and development of regional strategies to address this epidemic should begin with a better understanding of where and when overdoses are occurring. METHODS AND FINDINGS In this study, we relied on emergency medical services data to investigate the geographical and temporal patterns in opioid-suspected overdose incidents in one of the largest and most ethnically diverse metropolitan areas (Houston Texas). Using a cross sectional design and Bayesian spatiotemporal models, we identified zip code areas with excessive opioid-suspected incidents, and assessed how the incidence risks were associated with zip code level socioeconomic characteristics. Our analysis suggested that opioid-suspected overdose incidents were particularly high in multiple zip codes, primarily south and central within the city. Zip codes with high percentage of renters had higher overdose relative risk (RR = 1.03; 95% CI: [1.01, 1.04]), while crowded housing and larger proportion of white citizens had lower relative risks (RR = 0.9; 95% CI: [0.84, 0.96], RR = 0.97, 95% CI: [0.95, 0.99], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our analysis illustrated the utility of Bayesian spatiotemporal models in assisting the development of targeted community strategies for local prevention and harm reduction efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cici Bauer
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer
- ACE Research Lab, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Christine Bakos-Block
- ACE Research Lab, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kehe Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - David Persse
- Office of Emergency Medical Services, City of Houston Fire Department, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - James R. Langabeer
- ACE Research Lab, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Emergency Medicine, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Chappuis VN, Deham H, Cottet P, Gartner BA, Sarasin FP, Niquille M, Suppan L, Larribau R. Emergency physician's dispatch by a paramedic-staffed emergency medical communication centre: sensitivity, specificity and search for a reference standard. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 2021; 29:31. [PMID: 33563301 PMCID: PMC7871575 DOI: 10.1186/s13049-021-00844-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Some emergency medical systems (EMS) use a dispatch centre where nurses or paramedics assess emergency calls and dispatch ambulances. Paramedics may also provide the first tier of care “in the field”, with the second tier being an Emergency Physician (EP). In these systems, the appropriateness of the decision to dispatch an EP to the first line at the same time as the ambulance has not often been measured. The main objective of this study was to compare dispatching an EP as part of the first line emergency service with the severity of the patient’s condition. The secondary objective was to highlight the need for a recognized reference standard to compare performance analyses across EMS. Methods This prospective observational study included all emergency calls received in Geneva’s dispatch centre between January 1st, 2016 and June 30th, 2019. Emergency medical dispatchers (EMD) assigned a level of risk to patients at the time of the initial call. Only the highest level of risk led to the dispatch of an EP. The severity of the patient’s condition observed in the field was measured using the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) scale. Two reference standards were proposed by dichotomizing the NACA scale. The first compared NACA≥4 with other conditions and the second compared NACA≥5 with other conditions. The level of risk identified during the initial call was then compared to the dichotomized NACA scales. Results 97′861 assessments were included. Overall prevalence of sending an EP as first line was 13.11, 95% CI [12.90–13.32], and second line was 2.94, 95% CI [2.84–3.05]. Including NACA≥4, prevalence was 21.41, 95% CI [21.15–21.67], sensitivity was 36.2, 95% CI [35.5–36.9] and specificity 93.2 95% CI [93–93.4]. The Area Under the Receiver-Operating Characteristics curve (AUROC) of 0.7507, 95% CI [0.74734–0.75397] was acceptable. Looking NACA≥5, prevalence was 3.09, 95% CI [2.98–3.20], sensitivity was 64.4, 95% CI [62.7–66.1] and specificity 88.5, 95% CI [88.3–88.7]. We found an excellent AUROC of 0.8229, 95% CI [0.81623–0.82950]. Conclusion The assessment by Geneva’s EMD has good specificity but low sensitivity for sending EPs. The dichotomy between immediate life-threatening and other emergencies could be a valid reference standard for future studies to measure the EP’s dispatching performance. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13049-021-00844-y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Nathan Chappuis
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hélène Deham
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Cottet
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Birgit Andrea Gartner
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François Pierre Sarasin
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Marc Niquille
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Suppan
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Robert Larribau
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, CH 1211, Geneva, Switzerland. .,Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospital, Chemin du Petit-Bel-Air 2, CH 1226, Geneva, Thônex, Switzerland.
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Jensen TW, Møller TP, Viereck S, Roland Hansen J, Pedersen TE, Ersbøll AK, Lassen JF, Folke F, Østergaard D, Lippert F. A nationwide investigation of CPR courses, books, and skill retention. Resuscitation 2019; 134:110-121. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2018.10.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 10/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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