Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions
<b>Background/Objective:</b> Part of the workload of ambulance service involves patients with low-acuity health events that do not require the specific resources provided by ambulance services or emergency departments (EDs). The problem of inappropriateness is also present in Italy. Howe...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| author | Ilenia Piras Francesca Sanna Michele Garau Gabriele Sole Giampaolo Piras Ernesto d’Aloja Maura Galletta |
| author_facet | Ilenia Piras Francesca Sanna Michele Garau Gabriele Sole Giampaolo Piras Ernesto d’Aloja Maura Galletta |
| author_sort | Ilenia Piras |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background/Objective:</b> Part of the workload of ambulance service involves patients with low-acuity health events that do not require the specific resources provided by ambulance services or emergency departments (EDs). The problem of inappropriateness is also present in Italy. However, research is limited to the perspective of triage nurses only, excluding patients and emergency medical service (EMS) staff. This study aims to identify the presence of inappropriate ambulance use in the study context by comparing patients’ perception of emergency with appropriateness perspectives of both triage nurses and emergency service staff. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study involving 109 patients transported by ambulance was performed between January and March 2020. Questionnaires were distributed to patients, EMS staff, and triage nurses operating in the chief town and hinterland of a region of Italy. <b>Results:</b> Non-penetrating trauma was the most frequent cause for calling an ambulance. Patients referred that activation of the service was necessary, while triage nurses and EMS technicians were in line in believing the non-urgency of the call due to non-emergent health conditions. <b>Conclusions:</b> Although we cannot conclude that citizens use the emergency system inappropriately, the results of this study make us think about the need to implement educational interventions that increase citizens’ knowledge of how the service works and the territorial services available. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2cbae7c5499142e48fa84bc3bcc3f94f |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2039-439X 2039-4403 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nursing Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-2cbae7c5499142e48fa84bc3bcc3f94f2025-08-20T03:14:46ZengMDPI AGNursing Reports2039-439X2039-44032025-05-0115516510.3390/nursrep15050165Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ PerceptionsIlenia Piras0Francesca Sanna1Michele Garau2Gabriele Sole3Giampaolo Piras4Ernesto d’Aloja5Maura Galletta6Department of Emergency, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, 09100 Cagliari, ItalyGeospatial Health and Development, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, WA 6872, AustraliaMedicasa Italia S.p.A., 09100 Cagliari, ItalyARNAS G Brotzu, S. Michele Hospital, 09100 Cagliari, ItalyAzienda Regionale Emergenza Urgenza Sardegna, 09100 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Medical Sciences and Public Health, University of Cagliari, Monserrato, 09042 Cagliari, Italy<b>Background/Objective:</b> Part of the workload of ambulance service involves patients with low-acuity health events that do not require the specific resources provided by ambulance services or emergency departments (EDs). The problem of inappropriateness is also present in Italy. However, research is limited to the perspective of triage nurses only, excluding patients and emergency medical service (EMS) staff. This study aims to identify the presence of inappropriate ambulance use in the study context by comparing patients’ perception of emergency with appropriateness perspectives of both triage nurses and emergency service staff. <b>Methods:</b> A cross-sectional study involving 109 patients transported by ambulance was performed between January and March 2020. Questionnaires were distributed to patients, EMS staff, and triage nurses operating in the chief town and hinterland of a region of Italy. <b>Results:</b> Non-penetrating trauma was the most frequent cause for calling an ambulance. Patients referred that activation of the service was necessary, while triage nurses and EMS technicians were in line in believing the non-urgency of the call due to non-emergent health conditions. <b>Conclusions:</b> Although we cannot conclude that citizens use the emergency system inappropriately, the results of this study make us think about the need to implement educational interventions that increase citizens’ knowledge of how the service works and the territorial services available.https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/5/165emergency medical serviceappropriatenessambulance servicetriage nursepatient |
| spellingShingle | Ilenia Piras Francesca Sanna Michele Garau Gabriele Sole Giampaolo Piras Ernesto d’Aloja Maura Galletta Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions Nursing Reports emergency medical service appropriateness ambulance service triage nurse patient |
| title | Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions |
| title_full | Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions |
| title_fullStr | Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions |
| title_short | Ambulance Use Appropriateness: Emergency Medical Service Technicians’ and Triage Nurses’ Assessments and Patients’ Perceptions |
| title_sort | ambulance use appropriateness emergency medical service technicians and triage nurses assessments and patients perceptions |
| topic | emergency medical service appropriateness ambulance service triage nurse patient |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2039-4403/15/5/165 |
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