Emergency department management of ambulance services

Guil J, Rodríguez-Martín M, Ollé M, Blanco C, Rodellar MT, Pedrol E

Objective: To determine whether hospital emergency service management of

ambulance services reduces wait time and complaints about delayed transport.

Methods: A prospective study comparing 2 periods of time, one in which ambulance

service was not managed by the hospital emergency department (October and

November 2007) and another in which the department did manage the ambulance

service (December 2007 and January 2008). The number of transfers, transport time,

and complaints received in the 2 periods were analyzed. Ambulance trips taking patients

to other hospitals were excluded from the analysis.

Results: During the first period, patients from 544 emergency calls were brought in; in

the second period, the service responded to 720 calls for emergency transport. In the

first study period, the mean wait time was 2 hours and 4 minutes (maximum wait time,

8 hours). In the second period, the mean wait time was 1 hour and 1 minute

(maximum, 4 hours). Five complaints about emergency transport (9 written, 64 verbal)

were lodged in the first period. The second period saw no written complaints and 19

verbal complaints. Twice the number of double transports (2 patients in the same

ambulance) took place in the second period with in the first period.

Conclusion: Emergency department management of ambulance services brought

considerable improvement in the variables studied.

Blanco C, Guil J, Ollé M, Pedrol E, Rodellar MT, Rodríguez-Martín M