Dataset Information

Weather and Temporal Factors Associated with Use of Emergency Medical Services.

ABSTRACT: Background: Fluctuations in emergency medical services (EMS) responses can have a substantial impact on the ability of agencies to meet resource needs within an EMS system. We aimed to identify weather characteristics as potentially predictable factors associated with EMS responses. Methods: We reviewed hourly counts of scene responses documented by 24 EMS agencies in Western Pennsylvania from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2017 and compared rates of responses to weather characteristics. Responses to counties nonadjacent to the studied weather reporting station and interfacility/scheduled transports were excluded. We identified the mean temperature, meters visibility, dew point, wind speed, total millimeters of precipitation, and presence of rain or snow in 6-hour windows prior to dispatch, in addition to temporal factors of time of day and weekend vs. weekday. Analysis was performed using multivariable linear regression of a negative binomial distribution, reporting incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Secondary analyses were performed for transports to the hospital and cases involving transports for traumatic complaints and pediatric patients (age <18?years). Results: We included 529,058 responses (54.8% female, mean age 57.2?±?SD 24.7?years). In our multivariable model, responses were associated with (IRR, 95% CI) rain (1.10, 1.08-1.11) snow (1.07, 1.05-1.09), and both rain and snow (1.15, 1.11-1.19). A lower incidence of responses occurred on weekends (0.84, 0.83-0.85) and at night (0.62, 0.61-0.62). Increasing temperature in 5?°C increments was associated with an increase in responses across seasons with an effect that varied between 1.16 (1.15-1.17) in winter to 1.31 (1.28-1.33) in summer. Windy weather was associated with increased responses from light breeze (1.10, 1.09-1.11) to fresh breeze or greater (1.23, 1.16-1.30). Transports occurred in a similar pattern to responses. Trauma transports (n?=?64,235) occurred more during weekends (1.04, 1.02-1.06). Pediatric transports (n?=?21,880) were not significantly associated with precipitation or season. Conclusion: EMS responses increased with rising temperature and following rain and snow. These findings may assist in planning by EMS agencies and emergency departments to identify periods of greatest resource utilization.

SUBMITTER: Ramgopal S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7266083 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Weather and Temporal Factors Associated with Use of Emergency Medical Services.

Ramgopal Sriram S Dunnick Jennifer J Owusu-Ansah Sylvia S Siripong Nalyn N Salcido David D DD Martin-Gill Christian C

Prehospital emergency care 20190405 6

<b>Background:</b> Fluctuations in emergency medical services (EMS) responses can have a substantial impact on the ability of agencies to meet resource needs within an EMS system. We aimed to identify weather characteristics as potentially predictable factors associated with EMS responses. <b>Methods:</b> We reviewed hourly counts of scene responses documented by 24 EMS agencies in Western Pennsylvania from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2017 and compared rates of responses to weather character ...[more]

PMID: 30874455

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Project description:To optimize health care utilization, health outcomes, and costs, research is needed to improve an understanding of frequent users of emergency health services. Frequent use of emergency services is associated with high costs of health care and may be indicative of challenges accessing, or poor outcomes of, health care. Patient demographics and health factors related to frequent use of the emergency medical services (EMS) system of a midsized city were identified. Study findings will aid in the development of targeted interventions to improve population health.The authors reviewed 9-1-1 call dispatch data and Baltimore City Fire Department (BCFD) EMS records from 2008 through 2010. Frequent use was defined as six or more EMS incidents in the 23-month period. Analyses used census data to compare demographics of EMS users to their population distribution and examined differences in demographics and health problems of frequent EMS users compared to nonfrequent users.Frequent EMS users (n = 1,969) had a range of six to 199 EMS incidents (mean = 11.2) during the observation period, and although they accounted for only 1.5% of EMS users, they were involved in 12.0% of incidents. Frequent users, compared to nonfrequent users and to the population, were more likely to be male, African American, and 45 years of age or older. Of frequent users, the modal age group was 45 to 54 years, accounting for 29.7% of frequent users, which represented twice this age group's population distribution. Furthermore, this age group had the greatest overrepresentation of males (63.0% of frequent users) and was the peak age group for incidents related to substance abuse (28.0% of frequent users' incidents in this age group). Frequent users, compared to nonfrequent users, had lower levels of incidents related to trauma (5.1% vs. 16.7%) and higher levels of medical incidents (94.8% vs. 82.9%). As proportions of EMS incidents among frequent versus nonfrequent users, respiratory, mental health, and seizure-related incidents were highest in the youngest age groups; substance abuse-related incidents were highest in those middle-aged (35 to 44 and 45 to 54 years). Of health problems, behavioral health (mental health or substance use) contributed most to frequent EMS use (23.4% of frequent users' incidents). Across all incidents, 65.8% of frequent users had indications of behavioral health problems, representing 6.6-fold higher odds than nonfrequent users (22.5%). Frequent compared to nonfrequent users also had higher levels of select chronic conditions (diabetes, 39.9% vs. 14.6%; asthma, 40.9% vs. 13.4%; and HIV, 9.1% vs. 2.4%), with unadjusted odds almost four to seven times higher.The study findings revealed the major role of chronic somatic and behavioral health problems in frequent EMS use and that rates of frequent use were highest among those middle-aged, African American, and male. These results suggest the need for coordination of EMS with community-based, integrated medical and behavioral health services to improve access and use of preventive services, with implications for health outcomes and costs. This study demonstrates the value of EMS patient data in identifying at-risk populations and informing novel, targeted approaches to public health interventions.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Frequent geriatric users of emergency departments (EDs) constitute a small group of individuals accounting for a disproportionately high number of ED visits. In addition to overcrowding, this situation might result in a less appropriate response to health needs and negative health impacts. Geriatric patients turn to EDs for a variety of reasons. A better understanding of the variables associated with frequent ED use will help implement interventions best suited for their needs. OBJECTIVE:This review aimed at identifying variables associated with frequent ED use by older adults. METHODS:For this systematic review, we searched Medline, CINAHL, Healthstar, and PsyINFO (before June 2018). Articles written in English or French meeting these criteria were included: targeting a population aged 65 years or older, reporting on frequent ED use, using an observational study design and multivariate regression analysis. The search was supplemented by manually examining the reference lists of relevant studies. Independent reviewers identified articles for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed quality with the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Studies Reporting Prevalence. A narrative synthesis was done to combine the study results. A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the effect of removing the studies not meeting the quality criteria. RESULTS:Out of 5096 references, 8 met our inclusion criteria. A high number of past hospital and ED admissions, living in a rural area adjacent to an urban center, low income, a high number of prescribed drugs, and a history of heart disease were associated with frequent ED use among older adults. In addition, having a principal-care physician and living in a remote rural area were associated with fewer ED visits. Some variables recognized in the literature as influencing ED use among older adults received scant consideration, such as comorbidity, dementia, and considerations related to primary-care and community settings. CONCLUSION:Further studies should bridge the gap in understanding and give a more global portrait by adding important personal variables such as dementia, organizational variables such as use of community and primary care, and contextual variables such as social and economic frailty.

Project description:INTRODUCTION:Opioids contributed to over 300,000 deaths in the United States in the past 10 years. Most research on drug use occurs in clinics or hospitals; few studies have evaluated the impact of opioid use on emergency medical services (EMS) or the EMS response to opioid use disorder (OUD). This study describes the perceived burden of disease, data collection, and interventions in California local EMS agencies (LEMSA). METHODS:We surveyed medical directors of all 33 California LEMSAs with 25 multiple-choice and free-answer questions. Results were collected in RedCap and downloaded into Excel (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond WA). This study was exempt from review by the Alameda Health System - Highland Hospital Institutional Review Board. RESULTS:Of the 33 California LEMSAs, 100% responded, all indicating that OUD significantly affects their patients. Most (91%) had specific protocols directing care of those patients and repeat naloxone dosing. After naloxone administration, none permitted release to law enforcement custody, 6% permitted patient refusal of care, and 45% directed base hospital contact for refusal of care. Few protocols directed screening or treatment of OUD or withdrawal symptoms. Regular data collection occurred in 76% of LEMSAs, with only 48% linking EMS data with hospital or coroner outcomes. In only 30% did the medical director oversee regular quality improvement meetings. Of respondents, 64% were aware of public health agency-based outreach programs and 42% were aware of emergency department BRIDGE programs (Medication Assisted Treatment and immediate referral). Only 9% oversaw naloxone kit distribution (all under the medical director), and 6% had EMS-based outreach programs. In almost all (94%), law enforcement officers carried naloxone and administered it anywhere from a few times a year to greater than 200 in one LEMSA. CONCLUSION:This study represents an important description of EMS medical directors' approaches to the impact of OUD as well as trends in protocols and interventions to treat and prevent overdoses. Through this study, we can better understand the variable response to patients with OUD across California.

Project description:IntroductionThe use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is a salient component of reducing occupational risk in many fields. Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel use PPE to reduce risk of exposure and defend against various pathogens they come in contact with while providing patient care. Currently, the understanding of factors that predict the use of PPE by an EMS responder during a pandemic is limited. In this study our objective was to identify factors that influenced PPE use by EMS responders during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which may guide future planning for responders in similar austere or personal risk situations.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective chart review among all EMS encounters across an EMS agency affiliated with a large New York health system from March 16-June 30, 2020. All adult, emergency encounters with available prehospital record data were analyzed. We assessed patient- and EMS encounter-level data as possible factors that influence PPE utilization. The use of PPE was defined and guided by the literature as being either full or partial PPE, or "not documented." We used multinomial logistic regression to identify factors that influence PPE use among EMS responders.ResultsWe identified 28,693 eligible EMS encounters during the study period; 54.2% of patients were male, the median patient age was 58 years, and 66.9% of patients had at least one chronic medical condition. The use of PPE was documented in 92.8% of encounters, with full PPE used in 17.8% of these encounters. Full PPE utilization, relative to partial, was most strongly influenced by dispatch codes indicative of "breathing problems" (odds ratio [OR] 4.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.40, 5.46) and "cardiac/respiratory arrest" (OR 3.82; 95% CI: 2.99, 4.88), in addition to a patient's positive screening for COVID-19 on 9-1-1 dispatch (OR 3.97; 95% CI: 3.66, 4.32).ConclusionEmergency medical services responders more frequently used full PPE for calls with dispatch codes indicative of respiratory distress or cardiac arrest. Understanding factors that influence PPE use among EMS personnel, particularly during times of public health emergencies, is essential to mitigate exposure and ensure the safety of frontline responders.

Project description:Aim: To provide data on the inadequate use of emergency medical transports services (EMTS) in children and underlying contributing factors. Methods: This was a prospective single-center cohort study (01/2017-12/2017) performed at the Saarland University Children's Hospital, Homburg, Germany. Patients ≤20 years of age transported by EMTS for suspected acute illness/trauma were included and proportion of inadequate/adequate EMTS use, underlying contributing factors, and additional costs were analyzed. Results: Three hundred seventy-nine patients (mean age: 9.0 ± 6.3 years; 55.7% male, 44.3% female) were included in this study. The three most common reasons for EMTS use were: central nervous system (30.6%), respiratory system affection (14.0%), and traumas (13.2%). ETMS use was categorized as inadequate depending on physician's experience: senior physician (58.8%), pediatrician (54.9%), resident (52.7%). All three physicians considered 127 (33.5%) cases to be medically indicated for transportation by EMTS, and 177 (46.7%) to be medically not indicated. The following parameters were significantly associated with inadequate EMTS use: non-acute onset of symptoms (OR 2.5), parental perception as non-life-threatening (OR 1.7), and subsequent out-patient treatment (OR 4.0). Conversely, transport by an emergency physician (OR 3.5) and first time parental EMTS call (OR 1.7) were associated with adequate use of EMTS. Moreover, a significant relation existed between maternal, respectively, paternal educational status and inadequate EMTS use (each p = 0.01). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, non-acute onset of symptoms (OR 2.2) was associated with inadequate use of EMTS while first time parental EMTS call (OR 1.8), transport by an emergency physician (OR 3.3), and need for in-patient treatment (OR 4.0) were associated with adequate use of EMTS. Conclusion: A substantial number of pediatric EMTS is medically not indicated. Possibly, specific measures including multifaceted educational efforts may be helpful in reducing unnecessary EMTS use.

Dataset Information

Weather and Temporal Factors Associated with Use of Emergency Medical Services.

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Weather and Temporal Factors Associated with Use of Emergency Medical Services.

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