GPs’ use of defibrillators and the national radio network in emergency primary healthcare in Norway

Abstract

Objective. To study the geographic size of out-of-hours districts, the availability of defibrillators and use of the national radio network in Norway. Design. Survey. Setting. The emergency primary healthcare system in Norway. Subjects. A total of 282 host municipalities responsible for 260 out-of-hours districts. Main outcome measures. Size of out-of-hours districts, use of national radio network and access to a defibrillator in emergency situations. Results. The out-of-hours districts have a wide range of areas, which gives a large variation in driving time for doctors on call. The median longest transport time for doctors in Norway is 45 minutes. In 46% of out-of-hours districts doctors bring their own defibrillator on emergency callouts. Doctors always use the national radio network in 52% of out-of-hours districts. Use of the radio network and access to a defibrillator are significantly greater in out-of-hours districts with a host municipality of fewer then 5000 inhabitants compared with host municipalities of more than 20 000 inhabitants. Conclusion. In half of out-of-hours districts doctors on call always use the national radio network. Doctors in out-of-hours districts with a host municipality of fewer than 5000 inhabitants are in a better state of readiness to attend an emergency, compared with doctors working in larger host municipalities.