Access To Emergency Medical Services Research Articles

Presence of opioid safety initiatives, prescribing patterns for opioid and naloxone, and perceived barriers to prescribing naloxone: Cross-sectional survey results based on practice type, scope, and location.

The opioid epidemic is a public health crisis in the United States (US) and is associated with devastating consequences, including opioid misuse and related overdose. In response to the opioid crisis, the US Department of Health and Human Services is advancing improved practices in pain management. Strategies to help mitigate opioid risks include physician safety programs, hospital- or practice-based initiatives, patient education, and harm reduction campaigns that include the use of naloxone. To date, little information is available regarding the use of these strategies among healthcare providers. A survey was conducted to identify the presence of opioid safety initiatives, prescribing patterns of opioids and naloxone, and perceived barriers to prescribing naloxone. The presence of these strategies was compared between different practice types (hospital-based/academic vs. private practice), practice scope (chronic pain vs. "other"), and practice location (in the US vs. outside the US) Regarding "outside the US," the actual geographical distribution of those countries was not captured by respondents. A 13-question web-based anonymous cross-sectional survey was sent to members of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and the Women in Pain Medicine online community via email and social media (Twitter and Facebook). Survey questions were designed to ascertain the presence of opioid safety initiatives, opioid and naloxone prescribing patterns, and perceived barriers to prescribing naloxone based on practice type (hospital-based/academic vs. private practice), scope (chronic pain vs. "other"), and location (in the US vs. outside the US). Opioid safety initiatives: The presence of physician safety initiatives was found to be statistically higher among hospital-based/academic practices. No statistical difference was found for hospital- or practice-based, patient education, or harm reduction initiatives for different practice types (hospital-based/academic vs. private practice). The presence of patient education initiatives is statistically higher for chronic pain providers versus others. No statistical difference was found for physician safety, hospital- or practice-based, or harm reduction initiatives among the different practice scopes (chronic pain vs. others). The presence of opioid safety initiatives is statistically higher in the US compared with outside the US Prescribing patterns for opioids: Hospital-based/academic practices are more likely to prescribe opioids to patients suspected of the following: illicit or nonmedical drug use, recently released from prison or correctional facility, in opioid detoxification, a mandatory medication treatment program, and/or a current methadone maintenance program, and those having difficulty accessing emergency medical services. Chronic pain providers are more likely to prescribe opioids to patients taking antidepressants compared with "other" providers. Other providers are more likely to prescribe opioids to patients suspected of the following: illicit or nonmedical drug use, recently released from prison or correctional facility, in opioid detoxification, in mandatory medication treatment programs, in current methadone maintenance programs, and patients having difficulty accessing emergency medical services. There is no difference in opioid prescribing patterns based on practice location. Prescribing pattern for naloxone: Chronic pain providers and providers in the US are more likely to prescribe/recommend naloxone and are more aware of a state's medical board guidelines on naloxone prescribing. There is no statistical difference between practice types. Most providers, regardless of practice type, scope, or location, will coprescribe naloxone at a morphine milligram equivalent per day threshold of >50. Hospital-based/academic practices are more likely to prescribe naloxone to patients with opioid prescriptions and coexisting respiratory disease. Chronic pain providers are more likely to prescribe naloxone for patients with methadone prescriptions in opioid-naïve populations, coexisting respiratory, hepatic and/or renal dysfunction, known or suspected alcohol use, coprescribed benzodiazepine or antidepressants, and those having difficulty accessing emergency medical services. Based on practice location, providers in the US are more likely to prescribe naloxone for patients with opioid prescriptions and coexisting hepatic and/or renal dysfunction, known or suspected alcohol use, coprescribed benzodiazepine or antidepressants, recently released from a correctional facility, opioid detoxification program or mandatory abstinence program, and those having difficulty accessing emergency medical services. Perceived barriers to prescribing naloxone: We found no statistical difference regarding obstacles to prescribing naloxone based on practice type. The cost of the medication and lack of interest from patients are perceived barriers encountered by chronic pain providers versus other providers who do not have enough knowledge regarding when and how to prescribe for a patient. Based on practice location, perceived barriers for providers in the US are related to medication costs and lack of interest from patients. While some improvements have been achieved in the fight against the opioid epidemic, our survey results indicate that further knowledge is needed to determine the potential obstacles to implementing opioid safety initiatives, understanding prescribing practices for opioids and naloxone, and lowering the barriers to prescribing naloxone based on practice type, scope, and location.

Can Emergency Medical Services Utilization Rates Be Used to Measure the Success of An Alcohol Amnesty Policy?

Introduction Medical Amnesty/Good Samaritan (MAGS) policies, which eliminate legal charges when students call 9-1-1 for excessive drinking, have been implemented with the goal of reducing barriers to accessing Emergency Medical Services (EMS). This study investigated the impact of MAGS policy implementation on EMS calls on campus and if that EMS call volume could be used to measure policy success. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of alcohol-related EMS calls before and after MAGS implementation at a single large public university campus. Methods: A retrospective review of all 9-1-1 calls to on-campus locations was conducted using patient care records (PCRs) from a collegiate EMS agency responding exclusively to on-campus 9-1-1 calls. Calls were excluded if the PCR was marked “incomplete”, were outside the 2015 CBEMS response zone boundaries, or if patient age was <15 or >25 years old to ensure analysis was targeting the on-campus student population. The incidence of alcohol-related 9-1-1 calls was compared between one academic year (AY) prior to (pre-MAGS, AY2015) and two years after MAGS implementation (post-MAGS, AY2016/17). An alcohol-related 9-1-1 call was defined as an EMS provider primary or secondary impression of “Alcohol, Alcohol Intoxication, or Alcohol Ingestion” or a call in which the patient explicitly admitted to alcohol use. Relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to describe the results. Results: Over the three-year study period, the collegiate EMS agency responded to 2440 calls of which 1283 met inclusion criteria. 58 calls were excluded for being incomplete, 227 were outside the original boundaries and 872 were outside the defined age range. Of those calls, 351 were pre-MAGS and 932 were post-MAGS. Of the total 9-1-1 calls, 127 (36.2%) were related to alcohol pre-MAGS and 327 (35.1%) were related to alcohol post-MAGS policy implementation. The relative risk of a 9-1-1 call being made for alcohol-related issues after MAGS implementation was RR = 0.97 (95% CI 0.83-1.14; P = 0.713). Conclusion: Implementation of a MAGS policy was not associated with a significant change in the number of alcohol-related EMS responses. It is unclear if these results reflect ineffective policy implementation or a general reduction in on-campus alcohol consumption. However, using EMS call volume as a marker for policy success and quality improvement offers an innovative tool through which EMS agencies can provide valuable feedback to other system stakeholders.

Perceived Barrier in Accessing Emergency Medical Services of Ethnic Groups in the Highlands of Chiang Rai Province, Thailand

Objective: To explore the barriers of accessing emergency medical services among several ethnic groups, including the Hmong, Lisu, Lahu and Akha people. Material and Methods: The qualitative study was conducted to interview 43 participants, including the Akha, Lahu, Lisu and Hmong people. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for in-depth interviews, from February to March, 2019. The data were analyzed using content analysis. Results: The results show that the barriers of using emergency medical service (EMS) can be divided into the following five categories: the barrier to effectively communication, response to the symptoms of emergency illnesses, transportation facilities to support patients with emergency illnesses, fear to contact healthcare providers and the individual’s perception of emergency medical symptoms. Conclusion: The barriers of using EMS among different cultures, ethnicities and languages are a concern and obstacles to the increase appropriate pre-hospital management and reducing pre-hospital delay. A community collaboration partnership should be the goal of improving pre-hospital care among ethnic people.

Mobile home resident evacuation vulnerability and emergency medical service access during tornado events in the Southeast United States

Tornado mortality is greatest in the Southeast United States (U.S.) due to an elevated tornado risk, a larger total developed land area, and a greater number of mobile and manufactured homes. The National Weather Service (NWS) and Federal Management Agency (FEMA) both recommend that mobile home residents evacuate to a nearby sturdier structure when tornado threats arise. However, previous research has indicated that less than 30% of mobile home residents evacuate their homes during tornado events despite their expressed willingness to flee. This study employs geospatial near and network analysis techniques from mobile and permanent homes to nearby potential sheltering locations to determine possible reasons for the less than ideal sheltering rates. Additionally, emergency medical service response times for mobile and permanent homes are also assessed using a network analysis methodology. Results indicate that the distances and travel times from mobile homes to shelters are significantly greater than that of permanent homes to shelters. The distances and travel times from first responder stations to mobile homes are also greater compared to those associated with permanent home residents. Findings from this research illustrate that in addition to mobile home residents being more physically and socioeconomically vulnerable to tornadoes, they are also disproportionally less served by potential sheltering locations and emergency services due to being located more commonly in rural areas, especially in southern Alabama. Outcomes from this study may also be utilized by emergency managers and policy makers to refine and implement new tornado preparedness and mitigation plans within southeastern U.S. communities.

Emergency Patients with Mental Crisis Accessing Emergency Medical Services in Thailand

Introduction:Emergency responders face an increasing number of calls involving people with behavioral and mental crisis issue. Integrated multi-agency schemes involving ambulance, police and mental health services are now being developed to provide urgent and emergency care pathways for these vulnerable patients.Aim:The objectives were to study the situation, characteristics, issues, and accessibility to emergency medical services (EMS) and appropriate treatment for emergency patients with a mental crisis in Thailand.Methods:The sample included 26,511 mental crisis patients accessing EMS. Data were obtained from the database of the Information Technology for Emergency Medical System between 2015-2017 and from stakeholders from four provinces distributed regionally using focus groups and in-depth interviews. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis.Results:The number of patients with mental crisis accessing EMS increased in the past three years. Most patients are male in the working age group from the Northeastern area during the raining and winter season, especially between September and October. During patient encounters with maniacal attacks, assistance will be requested from the police and the emergency medical units. The response depends on the experience and community capability. The emergency responder teams had insufficient knowledge and skills. Emergency rooms in most hospitals lack specific caring unit. Psychiatric hospitals have different criteria for admitting patients. Most had no fast track system and even refuse admittance.Discussion:Mental crisis patient calls with EMS were rising. However, accessibility to appropriate service centers was still an issue. Most hospitals lack prioritized access and staffs had insufficient knowledge and skills. Cooperation among the police, emergency medical operation team and the rapid psychiatric emergency team is need to be reinforced.

Carer and clinician perceptions of the use of emergency medical services by people with dementia: a qualitative study.

A growing number of older people are accessing emergency medical services (EMS), and many calls to EMS are made by, or on behalf of, people with dementia. Their needs are frequently complex; however, EMS staff are often given minimal guidance on ensuring patient safety, accurate diagnosis, and timely transfer to the most appropriate care. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the EMS experiences of carers for people with dementia and assess the views of EMS staff on the management of dementia, using focus groups and interviews. Themes were focussed on the circumstances surrounding EMS calls to people with dementia. These can prove frustrating due to a lack of information sharing, limited alternatives to hospital attendance and the amount of time that it can take to meet the complex needs of a person with dementia.

Barriers to Accessing Emergency Medical Services in Accra, Ghana: Development of a Survey Instrument and Initial Application in Ghana.

Emergency medical services (EMS) systems provide professional prehospital emergency medical care and transportation to help improve outcomes from emergency conditions. Ghana's national ambulance service has relatively low public utilization in comparison with the large burden of acute disease. A survey instrument was developed using Pechansky and Thomas's model of access covering 5 dimensions of availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability. The instrument was used in a cross-sectional survey in 2013 in Accra, Ghana; eligible participants were those 18 years and older who spoke English, French, or Twi. Although the analysis was mainly descriptive, logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with reported intention to call for an ambulance in the case of a medical emergency. 468 participants completed surveys, with a response rate of 78.4%. Few (4.5%) respondents had ever used an ambulance in prior emergency situations. A substantial proportion (43.8%) knew about the public access medical emergency telephone number, but of those only 37.1% knew it was a toll-free call. Most (54.7%) respondents believed EMTs offered high-quality care, but 78.0% believed taxis were faster than ambulances and 69.2% thought the number of ambulances in Accra insufficient. Many (23.4%) thought using ambulances to transport corpses would be appropriate. In two hypothetical emergency scenarios, respondents most commonly reported taxis as the preferred transportation (63.6% if a family member were burned in a house fire, 64.7% if a pedestrian were struck by a vehicle). About 1 in 5 respondents said they would call an ambulance in either scenario (20.7% if a family member were burned in a house fire, 23.3% if a pedestrian were struck by a vehicle) while 15.5% and 10.2%, respectively, would use any available vehicle. Those aged 18-35 years were more likely than older respondents to prefer an ambulance (odds ratio [OR], 2.27; confidence interval [CI], 1.47 to 3.68), as were those with prior ambulance experience (OR, 1.75; CI, 0.98 to 3.09) (compared with those with no prior experience) and those who believed ambulances were safer than taxis (OR, 2.17; CI, 1.1 to 4.2) (compared with those who did not hold such beliefs). Perceptions of public ambulance services in Accra, Ghana, are generally favorable, although use is low. Public health education to improve awareness of the toll-free medical emergency number and about appropriate use of ambulances while simultaneously improving the capacity of ambulance agencies to receive increased caseload could improve use of the EMS system.

198 Barriers to Accessing Emergency Medical Services in Ghana

198 Barriers to Accessing Emergency Medical Services in Ghana

O UTCOME S TUDY OF M INORS AFTER P ARENTAL R EFUSAL OF P ARAMEDIC T RANSPORT

Objective. Patient refusal of paramedic transport against medical advice (AMA) has significant medical-legal implications. Previous studies have investigated patient outcomes after refusal of transport, but none has focused on these events in minors. This study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of this patient population after refusal of transport as well as the significance of base hospital physician discussion with parents in the decision to refuse transport. Methods. This was a retrospective telephone follow-up survey involving parents of minors for whom transport was refused after accessing emergency medical services (EMS) via the 911 system. Data were initially obtained from paramedic run records and each family was subsequently contacted by telephone and surveyed with regard to their experiences with the field medics in addition to the medical follow-up sought for their child and patient outcomes. Results. Eighty-nine patients met criteria for survey. Telephone contact was made with 44 parents, of whom 32 (73% of those contacted, 36% overall) participated. Twenty-seven (84%) received medical follow-up, either at an emergency department or in a private physician's office. Most patients (89%) who were evaluated and/or treated by a physician were subsequently released, while three children were admitted to the hospital, all three with respiratory or cardiac chief complaints. Conclusions. Children whose parents refused EMS transport received medical follow-up in the majority of cases, with a small group requiring admission.

Children with multiple injuries.

Injury or trauma is the greatest threat in childhood and leading cause of pediatric death. However, the child with multiple injuries may or may not be life threatened, and a team of specialists, with members representing pediatric trauma surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, pediatric emergency care, pediatric critical care, may not be immediately available. If the patient9s primary pediatrician or pediatric emergency or critical care specialist must provide stabilization because a multidisciplinary team of specialists is not immediately available, then an organized approach to initial assessment, stabilization, and establishment of priorities for definitive care is necessary to ensure optimal outcome. Pediatricians and pediatric specialists need to work together to enhance our health care delivery system and improve its capability in delivery of optimal care for the injured child, particularly the child with multiple injuries. Key ingredients of an emergency medical services for children (EMS-C) system include: (1) counseling of patients and/or families by pediatricians concerning regional access to emergency medical services; (2) assuring universal availability of a method of emergency medical services access, whether by strategically placed emergency public telephones, residential telephones, shortwave radios, the 911 system, VHF or UHF communications, or other; (3) establishing regional on-line medical control by attending physician specialists 24 hours a day to supervise care of the child from the moment of injury until asurance of definitive care;