An original research article recently published in Emergency Medicine Australia, Calling and ambulance for non-emergency medical situations : Results of a cross-sectional online survey from an Australian nationally representative sample, by Brennen Mills, Michaella Hill, Alecka Miles, Erin Smith, Eben Afrifa-Yamoah, David Reid Shane Rogers and Moira Sim investigates the general public's perception of medical scenarios that warrant a call to an emergency ambulance.
17 hypothetical scenarios were presented with participants being asked to decide which scenarios they would call an ambulance for. There were several non-emergency scenarios that 40% of the population incorrectly identified as warranting and emergency ambulance.
The authors find that while risk aversion is common among the populace a trait that should not necessarily change, an appropriate balance between risk aversion and overreliance on an already significantly stretched emergency health system needed to be found. The paper identifies contributors to engagement with emergency health services including demographics of the population sample, GP access and wider reaching public health problems, and suggests interventions that could help including education and guidance about the clinical urgency of symptoms and the appropriate pathways to take in seeking help.
This article is available to NSW Health employees via CiAP or contact the library for a copy of the article to be sent to you.
