Calling an ambulance for non-emergency medical situations: Results of a cross-sectional online survey from an Australian nationally representative sample.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To investigate the Australian general public's perception of appropriate medical scenarios that warrants a call to an emergency ambulance.

Methods

An online survey asked participants to identify the likely medical treatment pathway they would take for 17 hypothetical medical scenarios. The number and type of non-emergency scenarios (n = 8) participants incorrectly suggested were appropriate to place a call for an emergency ambulance were calculated. Participants included Australian residents (aged >18 years) who had never worked as an Australian registered medical doctor, nurse or paramedic.

Results

From a sample of 5264 participants, 40% suggested calling an emergency ambulance for a woman in routine labour was appropriate. Other medical scenarios which wer

SUBMITTER: Mills B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10087376 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature