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Gupta P, Mayampurath A, Gruenloh T, Oguss M, Afshar AS, Spigner M, Gussick M, Churpek M, Lee T, Afshar M. Prior emergency medical services utilization is a risk factor for in-hospital death among patients with substance misuse: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Emerg Med 2024; 24:110. [PMID: 38982351 PMCID: PMC11234660 DOI: 10.1186/s12873-024-01025-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance misuse poses a significant public health challenge, characterized by premature morbidity and mortality, and heightened healthcare utilization. While studies have demonstrated that previous hospitalizations and emergency department visits are associated with increased mortality in patients with substance misuse, it is unknown whether prior utilization of emergency medical service (EMS) is similarly associated with poor outcomes among this population. The objective of this study is to determine the association between EMS utilization in the 30 days before a hospitalization or emergency department visit and in-hospital outcomes among patients with substance misuse. METHODS We conducted a retrospective analysis of adult emergency department visits and hospitalizations (referred to as a hospital encounter) between 2017 and 2021 within the Substance Misuse Data Commons, which maintains electronic health records from substance misuse patients seen at two University of Wisconsin hospitals, linked with state agency, claims, and socioeconomic datasets. Using regression models, we examined the association between EMS use and the outcomes of in-hospital death, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and critical illness events, defined by invasive mechanical ventilation or vasoactive drug administration. Models were adjusted for age, comorbidities, initial severity of illness, substance misuse type, and socioeconomic status. RESULTS Among 19,402 encounters, individuals with substance misuse who had at least one EMS incident within 30 days of a hospital encounter experienced a higher likelihood of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.52, 95% CI [1.05 - 2.14]) compared to those without prior EMS use, after adjusting for confounders. Using EMS in the 30 days prior to an encounter was associated with a small increase in hospital length of stay but was not associated with ICU admission or critical illness events. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with substance misuse who have used EMS in the month preceding a hospital encounter are at an increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Enhanced monitoring of EMS users in this population could improve overall patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Preeti Gupta
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Anoop Mayampurath
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Tim Gruenloh
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Madeline Oguss
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Askar Safipour Afshar
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Michael Spigner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Megan Gussick
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Matthew Churpek
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA
| | - Todd Lee
- Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 600 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53792, USA
| | - Majid Afshar
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 610 Walnut Street, Madison, WI, 53726, USA.
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Melgoza E, Cardenas V, Enguídanos S, Bustamante AV, Beltrán-Sánchez H. A Systematic Literature Review of Hispanic Adults' Experiences With the Emergency Medical Services System in the United States Between 2000 and 2021. Med Care 2023; 61:150-156. [PMID: 36598888 PMCID: PMC9931647 DOI: 10.1097/mlr.0000000000001817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This systematic literature review presents an overview of studies that assess the experiences of Hispanic adults with (1) activation of emergency medical services (EMS); (2) on-scene care provided by EMS personnel; (3) mode of transport (EMS vs. non-EMS) to an emergency department (ED); and (4) experiences with EMS before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS A bibliographic database search was conducted to identify relevant studies on Ovid MEDLINE (PubMed), Web of Science, EMBASE, and CINAHL. Quantitative, mixed methods, and qualitative studies published in English or Spanish were included if they discussed Hispanic adults' experiences with EMS in the US between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2021. The Hawker and colleagues quality assessment instrument was used to evaluate the quality of studies. RESULTS Of the 43 included studies, 13 examined EMS activation, 13 assessed on-scene care, 22 discussed the mode of transport to an ED, and 4 described Hispanic adults' experiences with EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hispanics were less likely to activate EMS (N=7), less likely to receive certain types of on-scene care (N=6), and less likely to use EMS as the mode of transport to an ED (N=13), compared with non-Hispanic Whites. During the early COVID-19 pandemic period (March to May 2020), EMS use decreased by 26.5% compared with the same months during the previous 4 years. CONCLUSIONS The contribution of this study is its attention to Hispanic adults' experiences with the different phases of the US EMS system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esmeralda Melgoza
- Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
| | - Valeria Cardenas
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
| | - Susan Enguídanos
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, CA
| | - Arturo Vargas Bustamante
- Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
| | - Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez
- Jonathan and Karin Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
- California Center for Population Research, UCLA
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Farcas AM, Joiner AP, Rudman JS, Ramesh K, Torres G, Crowe RP, Curtis T, Tripp R, Bowers K, von Isenburg M, Logan R, Coaxum L, Salazar G, Lozano M, Page D, Haamid A. Disparities in Emergency Medical Services Care Delivery in the United States: A Scoping Review. PREHOSP EMERG CARE 2022; 27:1058-1071. [PMID: 36369725 DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2022.2142344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency medical services (EMS) often serve as the first medical contact for ill or injured patients, representing a critical access point to the health care delivery continuum. While a growing body of literature suggests inequities in care within hospitals and emergency departments, limited research has comprehensively explored disparities related to patient demographic characteristics in prehospital care. OBJECTIVE We aimed to summarize the existing literature on disparities in prehospital care delivery for patients identifying as members of an underrepresented race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation group. METHODS We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed (gray) literature. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Proquest Dissertations, Scopus, Google, and professional websites for studies set in the U.S. between 1960 and 2021. Each abstract and full-text article was screened by two reviewers. Studies written in English that addressed the underrepresented groups of interest and investigated EMS-related encounters were included. Studies were excluded if a disparity was noted incidentally but was not a stated objective or discussed. Data extraction was conducted using a standardized electronic form. Results were summarized qualitatively using an inductive approach. RESULTS One hundred forty-five full-text articles from the peer-reviewed literature and two articles from the gray literature met inclusion criteria: 25 studies investigated sex/gender, 61 studies investigated race/ethnicity, and 58 studies investigated both. One study investigated sexual orientation. The most common health conditions evaluated were out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (n = 50), acute coronary syndrome (n = 36), and stroke (n = 31). The phases of EMS care investigated included access (n = 55), pre-arrival care (n = 46), diagnosis/treatment (n = 42), and response/transport (n = 40), with several studies covering multiple phases. Disparities were identified related to all phases of EMS care for underrepresented groups, including symptom recognition, pain management, and stroke identification. The gray literature identified public perceptions of EMS clinicians' cultural competency and the ability to appropriately care for transgender patients in the prehospital setting. CONCLUSIONS Existing research highlights health disparities in EMS care delivery throughout multiple health outcomes and phases of EMS care. Future research is needed to identify structured mechanisms to eliminate disparities, address clinician bias, and provide high-quality equitable care for all patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra M Farcas
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado
| | - Anjni P Joiner
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jordan S Rudman
- Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Karthik Ramesh
- School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California
| | | | | | | | - Rickquel Tripp
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Karen Bowers
- Atlanta Fire Rescue Department; Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Tennessee
| | - Megan von Isenburg
- Duke University Medical Center Library, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Robert Logan
- San Diego Fire - Rescue Department, San Diego, California
| | - Lauren Coaxum
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
| | | | - Michael Lozano
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - David Page
- Department of Emergency Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ameera Haamid
- Section of Emergency Medicine, University of Chicago School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
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