Racing against time: Emergency ambulance dispatches and response times, a register-based study in Region Zealand, Denmark, 2013–2022

作者：Josefine Tangen Jensen, Thea Palsgaard Møller, Stig Nikolaj Fasmer Blomberg, Annette Kjær Ersbøll, Helle Collatz Christensen · 发表于：Scandinavian Journal of Trauma Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1186/s13049-024-01284-0 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Trauma and Emergency Care Studies、Emergency and Acute Care Studies、Occupational Health and Performance

BACKGROUND: The global strain on Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is reflected in the increasing number of emergency ambulance dispatches. Shorter EMS response times have demonstrated some effect on very specific and rare conditions. It is unknown if the increased number of ambulance dispatches compromises response times. This study aimed to describe trends in emergency ambulance dispatches and response times from 2013 to 2022 in Region Zealand, Denmark. Additionally, it aimed to outline the demographic profile of emergency ambulance patients, including age and comorbidities. METHODS: Using administrative data from the Region Zealand emergency medical dispatch center, a register-based study spanning from January 1, 2013, to December 31, 2022, was conducted. Data were linked with nationwide registries and priority A (emergency), or B (urgent) ambulance dispatches were included. Trends were examined overall and stratified by catchment areas corresponding to the hospitals with emergency departments in the region. Poisson and ordinal logistic regressions were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The study encompassed 678,789 emergency ambulance dispatches, with 55.0% priority A and 45.0% priority B. Among these, 667,788 had a valid personal identification number allowing for further analysis. Within the study population, females comprised 48.5%, while 49.1% of patients were 65 years or more. Overall, 47.5% of patients had no comorbidities, while 7.7% and 44.8% had mild and severe comor...