An emergency medical services program of alternate destination of patient care

Emergency medical service use at a pediatric center in Turkey, during the COVID-19 pandemic period

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate aspects of pediatric patients presenting to a hospital in Turkey via emergency ambulance services, including incidence of visits to the hospital, acuity of illness and most common diagnoses, during the one-year period before and after the onset of the coronavrrus dsease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

METHODS

This was a retrospective and single center analysis of children, transported by Emergency Medical Services to the Emergency Department (ED) of a children's hospital in Turkey, between 10 March 2019 and 11 March 2021.

RESULTS

Percentage of high acuity group (68.1% vs.76.9%) during pandemic period was significantly lower than prepandemic period (p < 0.001). On the contrary, the percentage of patients using emergency ambulance service with a low level of acuity increased during the pandemic period compared to the prepandemic period (31.9% vs. 23.1%) (p < 0.001). A significant decrease was observed in the cases of lower respiratory tract infections, febrile status epilepticus and excessive alcohol use during the pandemic period. No significant differences were found hospitalizations requiring PICU and mortality in ED during the pandemic period.

CONCLUSION

During the COVID-19 pandemic; also, a decrease in admissions was observed for those with high-risk conditions. On the contrary, an increase was detected in patients with low acuity levels. Efforts should be made to ensure access to safe and quality emergency care during the pandemic.

Paramedic Education and Training for the Management of Patients Presenting with Low-Acuity Clinical Conditions: A Scoping Review

Ambulance services around the world are increasingly attending to calls for non-emergency conditions. These lower-acuity conditions do not always require patients to be transported to the emergency department. Consequently, over the past two decades, ambulance services have implemented strategies to support paramedics in diverting non-urgent patients to alternative care pathways. However, assessing and managing low-acuity conditions can be challenging for paramedics, especially when education and training has traditionally focussed on emergency care. This scoping review explores the education and training provided to paramedics on low-acuity clinical conditions and the use of alternative care pathways. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews was applied. The databases searched included Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, Emcare, and MEDLINE (PubMed). The search identified one-hundred sixty-six records, with a total of nine articles reviewed after the removal of duplicates and the screening process. The articles were diverse, with education and training ranging from university degrees for extended care practitioners to short in-service-based training for a suite of protocols or assessment tools. However, the literature addressing education and training on low-acuity conditions and alternative care pathways is limited, with the type and length of education programs appearing to influence practice. There is a need for further research to establish a low acuity education model.

Transport Rates and Prehospital Intervals for an EMS Telemedicine Intervention

INTRODUCTION

Emergency medical services (EMS) facilitated telemedicine encounters have been proposed as a strategy to reduce transports to hospitals for patients who access the 9-1-1 system. It is unclear which patient impressions are most likely able to be treated in place. It is also unknown if the increased time spent facilitating the telemedicine encounter is offset by the time saved from reducing the need for transport. The objective of this study was to determine the association between the impressions of EMS clinicians of the patients' primary problems and transport avoidance, and to describe the effects of telemedicine encounters on prehospital intervals.

METHODS

This was a retrospective review of EMS records from two commercial EMS agencies in New York and Tennessee. For each EMS call where a telemedicine encounter occurred, a matched pair was identified. Clinicians' impressions were mapped to the corresponding category in the International Classification of Primary Care, 2nd edition (ICPC-2). Incidence and rates of transport avoidance for each category were determined. Prehospital interval was calculated as the difference between the time of ambulance dispatch and back-in-service time.

RESULTS

Of the 463 prehospital telemedicine evaluations performed from March 2021 to April 2022, 312 (67%) avoided transports to the hospital. Respiratory calls were most likely to result in transport avoidance (p = 0.018); no other categories had statistically significant transport rates. Four hundred sixty-one (99.6%) had matched pairs identified and were included in the analysis. When compared to the matched pair, telemedicine without transport was associated with a prehospital interval reduction in 68% of the cases with a median reduction of 16 min; this is significantly higher than telemedicine with transport when compared to the matched pair with a median interval increase in 27 min. Regardless of transport status, the prehospital interval was a median of 4 min shorter for telemedicine encounters than non-telemedicine encounters (p = 0.08).

CONCLUSION

In this study, most telemedicine evaluations resulted in ED transport avoidance, particularly for respiratory issues. Telemedicine interventions were associated with a median four-minute decrease in prehospital interval per call. Future research should investigate the long-term effects of telemedicine on patient outcomes.

Redirecting emergency medical services patients with unmet primary care needs: the perspective of paramedics on feasibility and acceptance of an alternative care path in a qualitative investigation from Berlin, Germany

Background

Against the backdrop of emergency department (ED) overcrowding, patients’ potential redirection to outpatient care structures is a subject of current political debate in Germany. It was suggested in this context that suitable lower-urgency cases could be transported directly to primary care practices by emergency medical services (EMS), thus bypassing the ED. However, practicality is discussed controversially. This qualitative study aimed to capture the perspective of EMS personnel on potential patient redirection concepts.

Methods

We conducted qualitative, semi-structured phone interviews with 24 paramedics. Interviews were concluded after attainment of thematic saturation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and qualitative content analysis was performed.

Results

Technical and organizational feasibility of patients’ redirection was predominantly seen as limited (theme: “feasible, but only under certain conditions”) or even impossible (theme: “actually not feasible”), based on a wide spectrum of potential barriers. Prominently voiced reasons were restrictions in personnel resources in both EMS and ambulatory care, as well as concerns for patient safety ascribed to a restricted diagnostic scope. Concerning logistics, alternative transport options were assessed as preferable. Regarding acceptance by stakeholders, the potential for releasing ED caseload was described as a factor potentially promoting adoption, while doubt was raised regarding acceptance by EMS personnel, as their workload was expected to conversely increase. Paramedics predominantly did not consider transporting lower-urgency cases as their responsibility, or even as necessary. Participants were markedly concerned of EMS being misused for taxi services in this context and worried about negative impact for critically ill patients, as to vehicles and personnel being potentially tied up in unnecessary transports. As to acceptance on the patients’ side, interview participants surmised a potential openness to redirection if this would be associated with benefits like shorter wait times and accompanied by proper explanation.

Conclusions

Interviews with EMS staff highlighted considerable doubts about the general possibility of a direct redirection to primary care as to considerable logistic challenges in a situation of strained EMS resources, as well as patient safety concerns. Plans for redirection schemes should consider paramedics’ perspective and ensure a provision of EMS with the resources required to function in a changing care environment.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12873-022-00660-2.

Analysis of an Alternative Model of Definitive Care For Low-Acuity Emergency Calls: A Natural Experiment

BACKGROUND

Emergency medical services (EMS) diversion strategies attempt to limit the impact of low-acuity care on emergency department (ED) crowding, but evidence supporting these strategies is scarce.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to measure the effect of a treat-in-place and alternative destination program on ED transports and EMS utilization.

METHODS

We used a natural experiment study design to measure effects of a pilot prehospital diversion program on ED transport, number of EMS vehicles dispatched, and EMS time on task for low-acuity emergency calls in a midsized urban setting characterized by a high prevalence of health disparities, concentrated poverty, and limited access to primary care between October 2018 and January 2020. We also used direct variable cost to estimate the return on investment attributable to avoided ED visits.

RESULTS

Of 3725 calls that met eligibility criteria, the program responded to 1084 (29.1%), with 56.7% of those resulting in an ED visit, compared with 64.6% of the 492 control calls that were eligible but were dispatched when program services were unavailable. Of 1084 calls receiving response, 213 (19.6%) were enrolled in the program, and 8.5% of those were transported by EMS to the ED. Adjusted results show EMS time on task was 23.4 min less for enrolled calls vs. controls. The program can achieve a positive return on investment by enrolling 2.9 patients/day.

CONCLUSIONS

A prehospital diversion program reduced ED visits and EMS transport times. Improved targeting of patients for enrollment would further increase the intervention's efficacy and cost savings.

Alternatives to direct emergency department conveyance of ambulance patients: a scoping review of the evidence

Background

The role of ambulance services is shifting, due in part to more intermediate, non-urgent patients who do not require direct emergency department conveyance, yet who cannot be safely left at home alone. Evidence surrounding the safety, effectiveness and efficiency of alternate care routes is not well known.

Methods

This scoping review sought to identify all studies that examined alternate routes of care for the non-urgent “intermediate” patient, as triaged on scene. Search terms for the sample (ambulances, paramedics, etc.) and intervention (e.g. referrals, alternate care route, non-conveyance) were combined. Articles were systematically searched using four databases and grey literature sources (February 2020). Independent researchers screened title-abstract and full text stages.

Results

Of 16,037 records, 41 examined alternate routes of care after triage by the on-scene paramedic. Eighteen articles considered quantitative patient data, 12 studies provided qualitative perspectives while 11 were consensus or opinion-based articles. The benefits of alternative schemes are well-recognised by patients, paramedics and stakeholders and there is supporting evidence for a positive impact on patient-centered care and operational efficiency. Challenges to successful use of schemes included: patient safety resulting from incorrect triage decisions, inadequate training, lack of formal partnerships between ambulance and supporting services, and insufficient evidence to support safe implementation or continued use. Studies often inaccurately defined success using proxies for patient safety (e.g. decision comparisons, rates of secondary contact). Finally, patients expressed willingness for such schemes but their preference must be better understood.

Conclusions

This broad summary offers initial support for alternate routes of care for intermediate, non-urgent patients. Even so, most studies lacked methodologically rigorous evidence and failed to evaluate safe patient outcomes. Some remedies appear to be available such as formal triage pathways, targeted training and organisational support, however there is an urgent need for more research and dissemination in this area.

A survey of general practitioner's opinion on the proposal to introduce 'treat and referral' into the Irish emergency medical service

BACKGROUND

The introduction of treat and referral by ambulance practitioners is under active consideration in Ireland. The Irish ambulance services have traditionally transported all patients following an emergency (112/999) call to an emergency department. The introduction of treat and referral will present a significant care pathway change.

AIMS

To engage GPs in relation to the proposed introduction of treat and referral.

METHODS

A postal survey of 50 general practices in the southeast of Ireland was completed in 2019 to identify their opinion on the introduction of treat and referral. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and Pearson's chi-square tests were used to identify statistically significant differences among GP cohorts.

RESULTS

A 78% response rate was achieved. Respondents indicated that informal treat and referral was practised by 40% of GPs. A significant majority of GPs indicated that their patients with diabetes or epilepsy would benefit from treat and referral and were happy for paramedics to make appointments posthypoglycaemia or seizure. There was no clear consensus in relation to confining treat and referral to adults only. Barriers to the implementation of treat and referral were a significant issue for GPs.

CONCLUSIONS

GPs are in the main supportive of the introduction of treat and referral; however, they have identified several barriers that may inhibit successful introduction. Importantly, a GP appointment within 48 h does not appear to be a barrier. The adequacy of the working relationships between GPs and the ambulance service and its practitioners appears to have reduced since 2006, which is concerning.

Stakeholder opinion on the proposal to introduce 'treat and referral' into the Irish emergency medical service

BACKGROUND

The Irish ambulance services have traditionally transported all patients following an emergency (112/999) call, regardless of acuity, to an emergency department (ED). A proposal to introduce Treat and Referral, an established care pathway in some jurisdictions, is under active consideration in Ireland. This will present a significant change. Stakeholder engagement is recognised as an essential component of management of such change. This study has conducted a multicentre, cross-sectional survey exploring opinions on the introduction of Treat and Referral among key Irish stakeholders; consultants in emergency medicine, paramedics and advanced paramedics.

METHODS

Public-sector consultants in emergency medicine (EM), registered paramedics and advanced paramedics, in Ireland at the time of the study, were invited to complete an on-line survey.

RESULTS

A significant finding was that 90% of both cohorts (EM consultants and registered paramedic practitioners) support written after-care instructions being given to referred patients, that > 83% agree that Treat and Referral will reduce unnecessary ambulance journeys and that 70% are in favour of their own family member being offered Treat and Referral. Consensus was reached between respondents that Treat and Referral would improve care and increase clinical judgement of practitioners. Differences were identified in relation to the increased availability of ambulances locally, that only adults should be included, and that research was required to extend Treat and Referral beyond the index conditions. There was no consensus on whether general practitioners (GPs) should be directly informed.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified that the Irish healthcare practitioners surveyed are supportive of the introduction of Treat and Referral into Ireland. It also affords healthcare policymakers the opportunity to address the concerns raised, in particular the clinical level which will be targeted for inclusion in this extended scope of practice.

Factors influencing the decision to convey or not to convey elderly people to the emergency department after emergency ambulance attendance: a systematic mixed studies review

BACKGROUND

The decision over whether to convey after emergency ambulance attendance plays a vital role in preventing avoidable admissions to a hospital's emergency department (ED). This is especially important with the elderly, for whom the likelihood and frequency of adverse events are greatest.

OBJECTIVE

To provide a structured overview of factors influencing the conveyance decision of elderly people to the ED after emergency ambulance attendance, and the outcomes of these decisions.

DATA SOURCES

A mixed studies review of empirical studies was performed based on systematic searches, without date restrictions, in PubMed, CINAHL and Embase (April 2018). Twenty-nine studies were included.

STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Only studies with evidence gathered after an emergency medical service (EMS) response in a prehospital setting that focused on factors that influence the decision whether to convey an elderly patient were included.

SETTING

Prehospital, EMS setting; participants to include EMS staff and/or elderly patients after emergency ambulance attendance.

STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS

The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used in appraising the included articles. Data were assessed using a 'best fit' framework synthesis approach.

RESULTS

ED referral by EMS staff is determined by many factors, and not only the acuteness of the medical emergency. Factors that increase the likelihood of non-conveyance are: non-conveyance guidelines, use of feedback loop, the experience, confidence, educational background and composition (male-female) of the EMS staff attending and consulting a physician, EMS colleague or other healthcare provider. Factors that boost the likelihood of conveyance are: being held liable, a lack of organisational support, of confidence and/or of baseline health information, and situational circumstances. Findings are presented in an overarching framework that includes the impact of these factors on the decision's outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Many non-medical factors influence the ED conveyance decision after emergency ambulance attendance, and this makes it a complex issue to manage.

A review on ambulance offload delay literature

Ambulance offload delay (AOD) occurs when care of incoming ambulance patients cannot be transferred immediately from paramedics to staff in a hospital emergency department (ED). This is typically due to emergency department congestion. This problem has become a significant concern for many health care providers and has attracted the attention of many researchers and practitioners. This article reviews literature which addresses the ambulance offload delay problem. The review is organized by the following topics: improved understanding and assessment of the problem, analysis of the root causes and impacts of the problem, and development and evaluation of interventions. The review found that many researchers have investigated areas of emergency department crowding and ambulance diversion; however, research focused solely on the ambulance offload delay problem is limited. Of the 137 articles reviewed, 28 articles were identified which studied the causes of ambulance offload delay, 14 articles studied its effects, and 89 articles studied proposed solutions (of which, 58 articles studied ambulance diversion and 31 articles studied other interventions). A common theme found throughout the reviewed articles was that this problem includes clinical, operational, and administrative perspectives, and therefore must be addressed in a system-wide manner to be mitigated. The most common intervention type was ambulance diversion. Yet, it yields controversial results. A number of recommendations are made with respect to future research in this area. These include conducting system-wide mitigation intervention, addressing root causes of ED crowding and access block, and providing more operations research models to evaluate AOD mitigation interventions prior implementations. In addition, measurements of AOD should be improved to assess the size and magnitude of this problem more accurately.

Telehealth-Enabled Emergency Medical Services Program Reduces Ambulance Transport to Urban Emergency Departments

INTRODUCTION

Emergency medical services (EMS) agencies transport a significant majority of patients with low acuity and non-emergent conditions to local emergency departments (ED), affecting the entire emergency care system's capacity and performance. Opportunities exist for alternative models that integrate technology, telehealth, and more appropriately aligned patient navigation. While a limited number of programs have evolved recently, no empirical evidence exists for their efficacy. This research describes the development and comparative effectiveness of one large urban program.

METHODS

The Houston Fire Department initiated the Emergency Telehealth and Navigation (ETHAN) program in 2014. ETHAN combines telehealth, social services, and alternative transportation to navigate primary care-related patients away from the ED where possible. Using a case-control study design, we describe the program and compare differences in effectiveness measures relative to the control group.

RESULTS

During the first 12 months, 5,570 patients participated in the telehealth-enabled program, which were compared against the same size control group. We found a 56% absolute reduction in ambulance transports to the ED with the intervention compared to the control group (18% vs. 74%, P<.001). EMS productivity (median time from EMS notification to unit back in service) was 44 minutes faster for the ETHAN group (39 vs. 83 minutes, median). There were no statistically significant differences in mortality or patient satisfaction.

CONCLUSION

We found that mobile technology-driven delivery models are effective at reducing unnecessary ED ambulance transports and increasing EMS unit productivity. This provides support for broader EMS mobile integrated health programs in other regions.

Patient safety in ambulance services: a scoping review

Background

The role of ambulance services has changed dramatically over the last few decades with the introduction of paramedics able to provide life-saving interventions, thanks to sophisticated equipment and treatments available. The number of 999 calls continues to increase, with adverse events theoretically possible with each one. Most patient safety research is based on hospital data, but little is known concerning patient safety when using ambulance services, when things can be very different. There is an urgent need to characterise the evidence base for patient safety in NHS ambulance services.

Objective

To identify and map available evidence relating to patient safety when using ambulance services.

Design

Mixed-methods design including systematic review and review of ambulance service documentation, with areas for future research prioritised using a Delphi process.

Setting and participants

Ambulance services, their staff and service users in UK.

Data sources

A wide range of data sources were explored. Multiple databases, reference lists from key papers and citations, Google and the NHS Confederation website were searched, and experts contacted to ensure that new data were included in the review. The databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Web of Science, Science Direct, Emerald, Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, Social Services Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS), PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Health Management Information Consortium (HMIC), NHS Evidence, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED),Health Technology Assessment, the FADE library, Current Awareness Service for Health (CASH), OpenDOAR (Directory of Open Access Repositories) and Open System for Information on Grey Literature in Europe (OpenSIGLE) and Zetoc (The British Library's Electronic Table of Contents) were searched from 1 January 1980 to 12 October 2011. Publicly available documents and issues identified by National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA), NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) and coroners’ reports were considered. Opinions and perceptions of senior managers, ambulance staff and service users were solicited.

Review methods

Data were extracted from annual reports using two-stage thematic analysis, data from quality accounts were collated with safety priorities tabulated and considered using thematic analysis, NPSA incident report data were collated and displayed comparatively using descriptive statistics, claims reported to NHSLA were analysed to identify number and cost of claims from mistakes and/or poor service, and summaries of coroners’ reports were assessed using thematic analysis to identify underlying safety issues. The depth of analysis is limited by the remit of a scoping exercise and availability of data.

Results

We identified studies exploring different aspects of safety, which were of variable quality and with little evidence to support activities currently undertaken by ambulance services. Adequately powered studies are required to address issues of patient safety in this service, and it appeared that national priorities were what determined safety activities, rather than patient need. There was inconsistency of information on attitudes and approaches to patient safety, exacerbated by a lack of common terminology.

Conclusion

Patient safety needs to become a more prominent consideration for ambulance services, rather than operational pressures, including targets and driving the service. Development of new models of working must include adequate training and monitoring of clinical risks. Providers and commissioners need a full understanding of the safety implications of introducing new models of care, particularly to a mobile workforce often isolated from colleagues, which requires a body of supportive evidence and an inherent critical evaluation culture. It is difficult to extrapolate findings of clinical studies undertaken in secondary care to ambulance service practice and current national guidelines often rely on consensus opinion regarding applicability to the pre-hospital environment. Areas requiring further work include the safety surrounding discharging patients, patient accidents, equipment and treatment, delays in transfer/admission to hospital, and treatment and diagnosis, with a clear need for increased reliability and training for improving handover to hospital.

Funding

The National Institute for Health Research Health Services and Delivery Research programme.

Alternatives to Traditional EMS Dispatch and Transport: A Scoping Review of Reported Outcomes

Objectives

Emergency medical services (EMS) programs, which provide an alternative to traditional EMS dispatch or transport to the emergency department (ED), are becoming widely implemented. This scoping review identified and catalogued all outcomes used to measure such alternative EMS programs.

Data Source

Broad systematized bibliographic and grey literature searches were conducted.

Study Selection

Inclusion criteria were 911 callers/EMS patients, reported on alternatives to traditional EMS dispatch OR traditional EMS transport to the ED, and reported an outcome measure.

Data Extraction

The reports were categorized as either alternative to dispatch or to EMS transport, and outcome measures were categorized and described.

Data Synthesis

The bibliographic search retrieved 13,215 records, of which 34 articles met the inclusion criteria, with an additional 10 added from reference list hand-searching (n=44 included). In the grey literature search, 31 websites were identified, from which four met criteria and were retrieved (n=4 included). Fifteen reports (16 studies) described alternatives to EMS dispatch, and 33 reports described alternatives to EMS transport. The most common outcomes reported in the alternatives to EMS dispatch reports were service utilization and decision accuracy. Twenty-four different specific outcomes were reported. The most common outcomes reported in the alternatives to EMS transport reports were service utilization and safety, and 50 different specific outcomes were reported.

Conclusions

Numerous outcome measures were identified in reports of alternative EMS programs, which were catalogued and described. Researchers and program leaders should achieve consensus on uniform outcome measures, to allow benchmarking and improve comparison across programs.

A prehospital treat-and-release protocol for supraventricular tachycardia

Objective

Paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a common dysrhythmia treated in the prehospital setting. Emergency medical service (EMS) agencies typically require patients treated for SVT to be transported to the hospital. This retrospective cohort study evaluated the impact, paramedic adherence, and patient re-presentation rates of a treat-and-release (T+R) protocol for uncomplicated SVT.

Methods

Data were linked from the Alberta Health Services EMS electronic patient care record (EPCR) database for the City of Calgary to the Regional Emergency Department Information System (REDIS). All SVT patients treated by EMS between September 1, 2010, and September 30, 2012, were identified. Databases were queried to identify re-presentations to EMS or an emergency department (ED) within 72 hours of T+R.

Results

There were 229 confirmed SVT patient encounters, including 75 T+R events. Of these 75 T+R events, 10 (13%, 95% confidence interval [CI] [7.4, 23]) led to an EMS re-presentation within 72 hours, and 4 (5%, 95% CI [2.1, 13]) led to an ED. All re-presentations were attributed to a single individual. After excluding 15 records that were incomplete due to limitations in the EPCR platform, 43 of 60 (72%) T+R encounters met all protocol criteria for T+R.

Conclusion

The T+R protocol evaluated in this study applied to a significant proportion of patients presenting to EMS with SVT. Risk of re-presentation following T+R was low, and paramedic protocol adherence was reasonable. T+R appears to be a viable option for uncomplicated SVT in the prehospital setting.

Swedish emergency medical services' identification of potential candidates for primary healthcare: Retrospective patient record study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate patients who called the emergency medical services (EMS) for primary healthcare (PHC) problems.

DESIGN

A retrospective and exploratory patient record study from an EMS perspective, comparing two groups: those who were potential candidates for PHC and those who were not. All data were gathered from EMS and hospital records.

SETTINGS

The study was completed at the EMS and five hospital areas in the western region of Sweden.

SUBJECTS

The patients (n = 3001) who called the EMS in 2011. Data were missing for 10%.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The frequency and the clinical characteristics of the patients who called the EMS and were actually potential candidates for PHC.

RESULTS

Of a total of 2703 patients, a group of 426 (16%) were assessed as potential candidates for PHC and could thus be treated at a level of care other than the emergency department. Patients who were classified as suitable for PHC were found at all priority levels and within all symptom groups, but were younger and healthier than the other group.

CONCLUSION

Numerous patients seeking help from the EMS do not end up at the most appropriate level in the healthcare system.

IMPLICATIONS

In the EMS, guidelines are needed to enable pre-hospital emergency nurses to assess and triage patients to the most appropriate level of healthcare. Key points Patients calling the emergency medical services do not always end up at an appropriate level of healthcare. In total, 16% of patients were identified by the Swedish emergency medical services as potential candidates for primary healthcare. These patients were younger and healthier than those needing care at the emergency department. They were found at all priority levels and within all symptom groups.

Should payment policy be changed to allow a wider range of EMS transport options?

The Institute of Medicine and other national organizations have asserted that current payment policies strongly discourage emergency medical services (EMS) providers from transporting selected patients who call 911 to non-ED settings (eg, primary care clinics, mental health centers, dialysis centers) or from treating patients on scene. The limited literature available is consistent with the view that current payment policies incentivize transport of all 911 callers to a hospital ED, even those who might be better managed elsewhere. However, the potential benefits and risks of altering existing policy have not been adequately explored. There are theoretical benefits to encouraging EMS personnel to transport selected patients to alternate settings or even to provide definitive treatment on scene; however, existing evidence is insufficient to confirm the feasibility or safety of such a policy. In light of growing concerns about the high cost of emergency care and heavy use of EDs, assessing EMS transport options should be a high-priority topic for outcomes research.

How well do General EMS 911 dispatch protocols predict ED resource utilization for pediatric patients?

INTRODUCTION

The use of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for low-acuity pediatric problems is well documented. Attempts have been made to curb potentially unnecessary transports, including using EMS dispatch protocols, shown to predict acuity and needs of adults. However, there are limited data about this in children. The primary objective of this study is to determine the pediatric emergency department (PED) resource utilization (surrogate of acuity level) for pediatric patients categorized as "low-acuity" by initial EMS protocols.

METHODS

Records of all pediatric patients classified as "low acuity" and transported to a PED in winter and summer of 2010 were reviewed. Details of the PED visit were recorded. Patients were categorized and compared based on chief complaint group. Resource utilization was defined as requiring any prescription medications, labs, procedures, consults, admission or transfer. "Under-triage" was defined as a "low-acuity" EMS transport subsequently requiring emergent interventions.

RESULTS

Of the 876 eligible cases, 801 were included; 392/801 had no resource utilization while 409 of 801 had resource utilization. Most (737/801) were discharged to home; however, 64/801 were admitted, including 1 of 801 requiring emergent intervention (under-triage rate 0.12%). Gastroenterology and trauma groups had a significant increase in resource utilization, while infectious disease and ear-nose-throat groups had decreased resource utilization.

DISCUSSION

While this EMS system did not well predict overall resource utilization, it safely identified most low-acuity patients, with a low under-triage rate. This study identifies subgroups of patients that could be managed without emergent transport and can be used to further refine current protocols or establish secondary triage systems.

Non-emergency department interventions to reduce ED utilization: a systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Recent health policy changes have focused efforts on reducing emergency department (ED) visits as a way to reduce costs and improve quality of care. This was a systematic review of interventions based outside the ED aimed at reducing ED use.

METHODS

This study was designed as a systematic review. We reviewed the literature on interventions in five categories: patient education, creation of additional non-ED capacity, managed care, prehospital diversion, and patient financial incentives. Studies written in English, with interventions administered outside of the ED, and a comparison group where ED use was an outcome, were included. Two independent reviewers screened search results using MEDLINE, Cochrane, OAIster, or Scopus. The following data were abstracted from included studies: type of intervention, study design, population, details of intervention, effect on ED use, effect on non-ED health care use, and other health and financial outcomes. Quality of individual articles was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines.

RESULTS

Of 39 included studies, 34 were observational and five were randomized controlled trials. Two of five studies on patient education found reductions in ED use ranging from 21% to 80%. Out of 10 studies of additional non-ED capacity, four showed decreases of 9% to 54%, and one a 21% increase. Both studies on prehospital diversion found reductions of 3% to 7%. Of 12 studies on managed care, 10 had decreases ranging from 1% to 46%. Nine out of 10 studies on patient financial incentives found decreases of 3% to 50%, and one a 34% increase. Nineteen studies reported effect on non-ED use with mixed results. Seventeen studies included data on health outcomes, but 13 of these only included data on hospitalizations rather than morbidity and mortality. Seven studies included data on cost outcomes. According to the GRADE guidelines, all studies had at least some risk of bias, with four moderate quality, one low quality, and 34 very low quality studies.

CONCLUSIONS

Many studies have explored interventions based outside the ED to reduce ED use in various populations, with mixed evidence. Approximately two-thirds identified here showed reductions in ED use. The interventions with the greatest number of studies showing reductions in ED use include patient financial incentives and managed care, while the greatest magnitude of reductions were found in patient education. These findings have implications for insurers and policymakers seeking to reduce ED use.

Use and Analysis of Field Triage Criteria for Mass Gatherings

Introduction:

Mass gatherings may result in an acute increase in the number of people seeking medical care potentially causing undue stress to local emergencymedical services (EMS) and hospitals. Often, temporary medical facilities are established within the mass gathering venue. Emergency Medical Services providers encountering patients in the field should be equipped with effective protocols to determine transport destination (venue facility vs. hospital).

Hypothesis:

Paramedics are capable of appropriately using triage criteria written specifically for a particular mass gathering. The use of triage criteria, when appliedcorrectly, decreases over-triage to the venue facility and under-triage to the hospital.

Methods:

Paramedics triaged patients at a mass gathering to a temporary venue facility or to a single emergency department using criteria specific for the event. Cases were reviewed to determine if the patients transported went to an appropriate facility and if the triage criteria were applied appropriately. Results: Transport destination was consistent with that dictated by the criteria for 78% of cases. Analysis of these cases shows that the criteria had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI = 58–100%) and a specificity of 90% (95% CI = 73–98%) for predicting which patients needed hospital services and which could be cared for safely in the temporary clinic setting.

Conclusions:

Triage by paramedics at the point of patient contact may reduce transporting of patients to hospitals unnecessarily. Patients in need of hospital services were identified. Point-of-contact triage should be applied in mass gatherings.

Value generation and health reform in emergency medical services

American Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies largely have been untouched by the dramatic health care reform efforts underway, although change seems imminent. Clarifying the role of the modern EMS system, and the yardsticks used to evaluate its performance, will be a challenge.This paper introduces the concept of value (or outcomes to cost ratio) in EMS, and offers value assessment as a means by which reform decisions can be framed. The best reform decisions are those that optimize both costs and outcomes. This includes: (1) attention to the patient experience; (2) disallowing the provision of unhelpful, harmful or disproven prehospital care; and (3) expanding patient dispositions beyond Emergency Departments. Costs of care will need to be tracked carefully and acknowledged. Value generation should serve as the goal of ongoing EMS reform efforts.

Use of alternate healthcare facilities as alternate transport destinations during a mass-casualty incident

The purpose of this discussion is to review the use of destinations other than the hospital emergency department, to transport patients injured as a result of a mass-casualty incident (MCI). A MCI has the ability to overwhelm traditional hospital resources normally thought of as appropriate destinations for the transport of injured patients. As a result, those with less severe injuries often are required to wait before they can receive definitive treatment. This waiting period, either at the scene of the incident or in the emergency department, can increase morbidity and drain resources that can be better directed toward the transport and care of those more severely injured. Potential alternate transport destinations include physician office buildings, ambulatory care centers, ambulatory surgery centers, and urgent care centers. By allowing for transport to alternate locations, these less severely injured patients can be removed rapidly from the scene, treated, and potentially released. This effort can decrease the strain on traditional resources within the system, better allowing these resources to treat more seriously injured patients.

Paramedic determinations of medical necessity: a meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

Reducing unnecessary ambulance transports may have operational and economic benefits for emergency medical services (EMS) agencies and receiving emergency departments. However, no consensus exists on the ability of paramedics to accurately and safely identify patients who do not require ambulance transport. Objective. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated studies reporting U.S. paramedics' ability to determine medical necessity of ambulance transport.

METHODS

PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and Cochrane Library databases were searched using Cochrane Prehospital and Emergency Care Field search terms combined with the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terms "triage"; "utilization review"; "health services misuse"; "severity of illness index," and "trauma severity indices." Two reviewers independently evaluated each title to identify relevant studies; each abstract then underwent independent review to identify studies requiring full appraisal. Inclusion criteria were original research; emergency responses; determinations of medical necessity by U.S. paramedics; and a reference standard comparison. The primary outcome measure of interest was the negative predictive value (NPV) of paramedic determinations. For studies reporting sufficient data, agreement between paramedic and reference standard determinations was measured using kappa; sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) were also calculated.

RESULTS

From 9,752 identified titles, 214 abstracts were evaluated, with 61 studies selected for full review. Five studies met the inclusion criteria (interrater reliability, kappa = 0.75). Reference standards included physician opinion (n = 3), hospital admission (n = 1), and a composite of physician opinion and patient clinical circumstances (n = 1). The NPV ranged from 0.610 to 0.997. Results lacked homogeneity across studies; meta-analysis using a random-effects model produced an aggregate NPV of 0.912 (95% confidence interval: 0.707-0.978). Only two studies reported complete 2 x 2 data: kappa was 0.105 and 0.427; sensitivity was 0.992 and 0.841; specificity was 0.356 and 0.581; and PPV was 0.158 and 0.823.

CONCLUSION

The results of the few studies evaluating U.S. paramedic determinations of medical necessity for ambulance transport vary considerably, and only two studies report complete data. The aggregate NPV of the paramedic determinations is 0.91, with a lower confidence limit of 0.71. These data do not support the practice of paramedics' determining whether patients require ambulance transport. These findings have implications for EMS systems, emergency departments, and third-party payers.

Paramedic initiated non-transport of pediatric patients

INTRODUCTION

In a time of emergency department overcrowding and increased utilization of emergency medical services, a highly functional prehospital system will balance the needs of the individual patient with the global needs of the community. Our community addressed these issues through the development of a multitiered prehospital care system that incorporated EMS initiated non-transport of pediatric patients.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the outcome of pediatric patients accessing a progressive prehospital system that employed EMS initiated non-transport.

METHODS

A prospective observational case series was performed on pediatric patients (< 21 years old) designated EMS initiated non-transport. Patients were designated non-transport after an initial EMS protocol driven, complaint-specific clinical assessment in conjunction with medical oversight affirmation. Telephone follow-up was completed on all consecutively enrolled non-transport patients to collect information about outcome (safety) as well as overall satisfaction with the system. A five-point Likert scale was utilized to rate satisfaction.

RESULTS

There were 5,336 EMS requests during the study period. Seven hundred and four were designated non-transport, of which 74.8% completed phone follow-up. Categories of EMS request included minor; medical illness 43.4%, trauma 55.9%, and other 1.1%. There were 13 admissions (2.4%) to the hospital after EMS initiated non-transport designation. Admissions after non-transport had trends toward younger age (p = 0.002) and medical etiology (p = 0.006). There were no PICU admissions or deaths.

CONCLUSION

Our EMS system provides an alternative to traditional protocols, allowing EMS initiated non-transport of pediatric patients, resulting in effective resource utilization with a high level of patient safety and family satisfaction.

Reasons why patients choose an ambulance and willingness to consider alternatives

OBJECTIVES

To test a hypothesis that patients would accept alternatives to transport to an emergency department (ED) by ambulance and to evaluate factors related to patient willingness to consider alternatives. Concerns about resource utilization have prompted emergency medical services (EMS) systems to explore alternatives to ambulance transport to an ED, but studies have evaluated the safety of alternatives, not patient preferences.

METHODS

Trained research assistants surveyed patients transported by ambulance to a university ED. Interfacility transfers, trauma patients, and critically ill patients were excluded. The primary outcome was willingness to accept one of several presented alternatives to ambulance transport to the ED for that visit. Demographic and clinical factors were evaluated for association with willingness to consider alternatives. Relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were determined by using Mantel-Haenszel stratified methods.

RESULTS

Three hundred fifteen subjects completed the survey. Two hundred forty-seven (78.4%) were willing to consider at least one alternative. One hundred ninety-four (61.6%) were willing to consider transportation by car, and 177 (56.2%) were willing to consider transportation by taxi. Factors associated with willingness to consider alternatives included the following: age 18-65 years (RR, 1.25; 95% CI = 1.03 to 1.49), being unemployed (RR, 1.08; 95% CI = 1.08 to 1.33), use of the ED for routine care (RR, 1.25; 95% CI = 1.17 to 1.35), and not being admitted to the hospital (RR, 1.19; 95% CI = 1.04 to 1.40). Race, gender, health insurance status, and EMS interventions en route were not associated with willingness to consider transportation alternatives.

CONCLUSIONS

Many patients transported by ambulance to an ED would have considered an alternative, if one were offered.

Setting the scene for the paramedic in primary care: a review of the literature

Recognition of the paramedic "profession" began in 2003, with the introduction of statutory registration and the promotion of graduate entry. This paper explores the published evidence which surrounds paramedic practice in an attempt to identify the skills, training, and professional capacity which paramedics of the future will require. A systematic analysis was carried out of key reviews and commentaries published between January 1995 and April 2004, and informal discussions with experts and researchers in the field were undertaken. There remains little high quality published evidence with which to validate many aspects of current paramedic practice. To keep pace with service developments, paramedic training must embrace the complexities of autonomous practice. Undoubtedly in the short term, paramedics must be taught to appropriately identify and manage a far wider range of commonly occurring conditions, minor illnesses, and trauma. However, in the longer term, and more importantly, paramedics must learn to work together to take ownership of the basic philosophies of their practice, which must have their foundation in valid and reliable research.

The National EMS Research strategic plan

One of the eight major recommendations put forth by the National EMS Research Agenda Implementation Project in 2002 was the development of an emergency medical services (EMS) research strategic plan. Using a modified Delphi technique along with a consensus conference approach, a strategic plan for EMS research was created. The plan includes recommendations for concentrating efforts by EMS researchers, policy makers, and funding resources with the ultimate goal of improving clinical outcomes. Clinical issues targeted for additional research efforts include evaluation and treatment of patients with asthma, acute cardiac ischemia, circulatory shock, major injury, pain, acute stroke, and traumatic brain injury. The plan calls for developing, evaluating, and validating improved measurement tools and techniques. Additional research to improve the education of EMS personnel as well as system design and operation is also suggested. Implementation of the EMS research strategic plan will improve both the delivery of services and the care of individuals who access the emergency medical system.

Prehospital provider prediction of emergency department disposition: implications for selective diversion

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether emergency medical services (EMS) personnel can use selective diversion and accurately predict those patients being transported who are unlikely to need a critical care bed and those patients unlikely to require admission to the hospital.

METHODS

This was a prospective study of patients being transported by the local EMS service. The EMS providers were asked to predict disposition of the patient. Emergency department (ED) personnel were asked to indicate on the study sheet the actual disposition of the patient.

RESULTS

A total of 411 patient transports were entered into the study. The EMS providers predicted that 246 (59.9%) would be discharged to home, 96 (23.3%) would be admitted to a floor bed, and 69 (16.8%) would be admitted to a critical care bed (CCB). The actual dispositions of the patients were: 253 (61.6%) discharged to home, 99 (24.1%) admitted to a floor bed, and 59 (9.9%) admitted to a CCB. The EMS providers performed well at predicting those patients who would not need a CCB: negative predictive value 96.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]) (93.4-97.9). They also correctly identified most patients who were discharged to home: 209 of 253, 85% (95% CI is equal to 79.7-89.1%).

CONCLUSIONS

EMS providers appear to be capable of using selective diversion categories. EMS providers correctly identified most patients who will not require a critical care bed. The EMS providers also correctly identified most patients who will be discharged from the ED after treatment.

On-scene alternatives for emergency ambulance crews attending patients who do not need to travel to the accident and emergency department: a review of the literature

With rising demand and recognition of the variety of cases attended by emergency ambulance crews, services have been considering alternative ways of providing non-urgent care. This paper describes and appraises the research literature concerning on-scene alternatives to conveyance to an emergency department, focusing on the: (1) profile and outcomes of patients attended but not conveyed by emergency crews; (2) triage ability of crews; (3) effectiveness and safety of protocols that allow crews to convey patients to alternative receiving units or to self care. The literature search was conducted through standard medical databases, supplemented with manual searches. Very few "live" studies were identified, and fewer still that included a control group. Findings indicated a complex area, with the introduction of protocols allowing crews to leave patients at scene carrying clinical risk. Robust research evidence concerning alternatives to current emergency care models is needed urgently to inform service and practice development.

Can paramedics accurately identify patients who do not require emergency department care?

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether paramedics can identify patients contacting 9-1-1 who do not require emergency department (ED) care.

METHODS

The setting was an urban county with a two-tiered, dual response to 9-1-1 calls comprising eight local fire departments with advanced life support capabilities and a private advanced life support 9-1-1 agency with primary transport responsibilities (approximately 39,000 of the 78,000 total system patient transports in this county per year). The study population consisted of consecutive patients transported by a private transporting paramedic agency. After patient contact and stabilization, paramedics completed a survey detailing the necessity for transport to an ED for each patient. Prior to data analysis, it was determined that patients would be designated as requiring ED care if they 1) were admitted, 2) required surgical, surgical subspecialty, obstetric, or gynecologic consult, or 3) required advanced radiologic procedures (excluding plain films). Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values for paramedic assessment of necessity for ED care were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs).

RESULTS

Over the study period, 313 patients were enrolled. Paramedic assessment was 81% sensitive (72-88%, 95% CI) and 34% specific (28-41%, 95% CI) in predicting requirement for ED care. In 85 cases where paramedics felt ED transport was unnecessary, 27 (32%) met criteria for ED treatment, including 15 (18%) who were admitted and five (6%) who were admitted to an intensive care unit.

CONCLUSION

In this urban system, paramedics cannot reliably predict which patients do and do not require ED care.