Patient and physician perspectives on ambulance utilization.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2008

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the current study was to define the clinical and demographic characteristics of ED patients who used ambulance transport (USERS) compared to contemporaneous non-ambulance users (NON) and to determine the reasons users gave for their choice to use ambulance transport.

METHODS: A single researcher queried a convenience sample of consenting ED patients regarding reasons for choice of transport to the ED, knowledge of ambulance cost, and self-estimation of illness or injury severity on a (1 most severe, 5 least severe) five-point Likert scale. We also asked if the treating physician agreed with transport choice.

RESULTS: Of 311 participants (97% response rate), USERS (N=71, 22.8%) were older than NON (53 vs. 35, p

CONCLUSIONS: Ambulance users were more likely to be more sick as determined by commonly used measures than nonusers. ED physicians almost always agreed with nonuse of ambulance transport and two-thirds of the time agreed that a patient's decision to use ambulance transport was appropriate.

Volume

12

Issue

2

First Page

176

Last Page

181

ISSN

1090-3127

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

18379913

Department(s)

Department of Emergency Medicine

Document Type

Article

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