Barriers to accessing ambulance services in rural Victoria for acute asthma: Patients’ and medical professionals’ perspectives

Abstract

To study the attitudes and perceptions of rural asthma patients and medical health professionals towards accessing ambulance services for acute asthma. Health professional and patient based focus groups, audit of ambulance patient care records and self administered survey. Asthma patients and medical professionals from rural south-western Victoria. The audit of patient care records included 69 asthma case records, and identified short response times (mean, 7 min; SD, 5 min), and documented patient improvement in clinical status in response to ambulance treatment. The focus group analysis identified patient perceptions which act as barriers to accessing ambulance services in acute asthma. These included the perception of response time delays, '000' call centre delays and misunderstanding of the role of paramedics, and when it is appropriate to call an ambulance for acute asthma. These perceptions were expressed by both patients and medical professionals, and both groups had poor knowledge of how and when to access ambulance services for acute asthma. The misperceptions expressed are of particular concern in a rural population where distance can cause prolonged response times to treatment, and patients who are acutely ill need to contact emergency services promptly and appropriately to improve patient health outcomes.