Modifiable factors to prevent severe hypoglycaemic and diabetic ketoacidosis presentations in people with type 1 diabetes.

AIMS: In tackling rising diabetes-related emergencies, the need to understand and address emergency service usage by people with type 1 diabetes is vital. This review aimed to quantify current trends in presentations for type 1 diabetes-related emergencies and identify public health strategies that reduce the frequency of diabetes-related emergencies and improve glycaemic management. METHODS: Medline (OVID), Cochrane and CINAHL were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2023, focusing on people with type 1 diabetes, severe hypoglycaemia and/or diabetic ketoacidosis, and ambulance and/or emergency department usage. There were 1313 papers identified, with 37 publications meeting review criteria. RESULTS: The incidence of type 1 diabetes-related emergencies varied from 2.4 to 14.6% over one year for hypoglycaemic episodes, and between 0.07 and 11.8 events per 100 person-years for hyperglycaemic episodes. Notably, our findings revealed that ongoing diabetes education and the integration of diabetes technology, such as continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy, significantly reduced the incidence of these emergencies. However, socio-economic disparities posed barriers to accessing these technologies, subsequently shifting the cost to emergency healthcare and highlighting the need for governments to consider subsidising these technologies as part of preventative measures. CONCLUSIONS: Improving access to continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy, in combination with ongoing diabetes education focusing on symptom recognition and early management, will reduce the incidence of diabetes-related emergencies. Concurrent research assessing emergency healthcare usage patterns during the implementation of such measures is essential to ensure these are cost-effective.

Experiences from a cluster-randomized trial (ParaNASPP) exploring triage and diagnostic accuracy in paramedic-suspected stroke: a qualitative interview study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Timely prehospital stroke recognition was explored in the Paramedic Norwegian Acute Stroke Prehospital Project (ParaNASPP) by implementation of stroke education for paramedics and use of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) through a mobile application. The study tested triage and facilitated communication between paramedics and stroke physicians. To complement the quantitative results of the clinical trial, a qualitative approach was used to identify factors that influence triage decisions and diagnostic accuracy in prehospital stroke recognition experienced by paramedics and stroke physicians. METHOD: Semi-structured qualitative individual interviews were performed following an interview guide. Informants were recruited from the enrolled paramedics and stroke physicians who participated in the ParaNASPP trial from Oslo University Hospital. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and approached inductively using the principles of thematic analysis. RESULTS: Fourteen interviews were conducted, with seven paramedics and seven stroke physicians. Across both groups two overarching themes were identified related to triage decisions and diagnostic accuracy in prehospital stroke recognition: prehospital NIHSS reliably improves clinical assessment and communication quality; overtriage is widely accepted whilst undertriage is not. CONCLUSION: Paramedics and stroke physicians described how prehospital NIHSS improved communication quality and reliably improved prehospital clinical assessment. The qualitative results support a rationale of an application algorithm to decide which NIHSS items should prompt immediate prenotification rather than a complete NIHSS as default.

Statistical Analysis Plan for the INTEnsive Ambulance-Delivered Blood Pressure Reduction in Hyper-ACute Stroke Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Recruitment is complete in the fourth INTEnsive ambulance-delivered blood pressure Reduction in hyper-ACute stroke Trial (INTERACT4), a multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded endpoint assessed trial of prehospital blood pressure (BP) lowering initiated in the ambulance for patients with a suspected acute stroke and elevated BP in China. According to the registered and published trial protocol and developed by the blinded trial Steering Committee and Operations team, this manuscript outlines a detailed statistical analysis plan for the trial prior to database lock. METHODS: Patients were randomized (1:1) to intensive (target systolic BP 130-140 mm Hg within 30 min) or guideline-recommended BP management (BP lowering only considered if systolic BP >220 mm Hg) group. Primary outcome is an ordinal analysis of the full range of scores on the modified Rankin scale at 90 days. A modified sample size of 2,320 was estimated to provide 90% power to detect a 22% reduction in the odds (common odds ratio of 0.78) of a worse functional outcome using ordinal logistic regression, on the assumption of 5% patients with missing outcome and 6% patients with a stroke mimic. CONCLUSION: The statistical analysis plan for the trial has been developed to ensure transparent, verifiable, and prespecified analysis and to avoid potential bias in the evaluation of the trial intervention.

The Role of Integrated Air Transport System in Managing Patients with Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Rupture.

OBJECTIVE: Ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) are highly morbid emergencies. Not all hospitals are equipped to repair them, and an air ambulance network may aid in regionalising specialty care to quaternary referral centres. The association between travel distance by air ambulance and rAAA mortality in patients transferred as an emergency for repair was examined. METHODS: A retrospective review of institutional data. Adults with rAAA (2002 - 2019) transferred from an outside hospital (OSH) to a single quaternary referral centre for repair via air ambulance were identified. Patients who arrived via ground transport or post-repair at an OSH for continued critical care were excluded. Patients were divided into near and far groups based on the 75th percentile of the straight line travel distance (> 72 miles) between hospitals. The primary outcome was 30 day mortality. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the association between distance and mortality after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, cardiovascular comorbidities, and repair type. RESULTS: A total of 290 patients with rAAA were transported a median distance of 40.4 miles (interquartile range 25.5, 72.7) with 215 (74.1%) near and 75 (25.9%) far patients. Both the near and far groups had similar ages, sex, and ethnicity. There was no difference in pre-operative loss of consciousness, intubation, or cardiac arrest between groups. Endovascular aneurysm repair utilisation and intra-operative aortic occlusion balloon use were also similar. Neither the observed (26.8% vs. 23.9%, p = .61) nor the adjusted odds ratio (0.70, 95% confidence interval 0.36 - 1.39, p = .32) 30 day mortality rate differed significantly between the near and far groups. CONCLUSION: Increasing distance travelled during transfer by air ambulance was not associated with worse outcomes in patients with rAAA. The findings support the regionalisation of rAAA repair to large quaternary centres via an integrated and robust air ambulance network.

"In the wilderness dealing with difficult situations": Knowledge exchange with care home staff in England on managing seizures and epilepsy - An initial exploration.

PURPOSE: With epilepsy increasingly affecting older adults, seizure-related care needs arise in new settings. Persons in these settings must receive optimal support and challenges identified for remediation. This may entail the epilepsy community researching in unfamiliar environments. One setting is care homes. Seizure-related ambulance incidents in them are common. We conducted the first qualitative study with care home staff to explore their experiences and challenges in managing suspected seizures. METHODS: Three online focus groups were organised for January 2024 to explore ambulance calls, post-incident procedures, and challenges faced by care home staff when managing seizures. Persons were eligible to participate if they worked as a care assistant, nurse or manager in a care home in North-West England. Different recruitment pathways were employed including direct approach, a managers' network, social media and a register of research interested homes. Focus group audio recordings were transcribed and analysed using Hamilton's Rapid Analysis. RESULTS: Recruitment was difficult; 13 care home staff from 12 different homes were ultimately recruited. Despite data saturation not being achieved, insights were gained regarding ambulance call decisions, paperwork navigation, and follow-up care challenges. Patients not having meaningful seizure action plans in place and regulatory restrictions were identified as factors that contributed to potentially avoidable calls for ambulance help being made. CONCLUSION: This study highlights systemic issues in care homes' seizure care, emphasizing the need for further research. The epilepsy community may need to innovate to better research within this increasingly important setting. This study offers insights into the effectiveness of different recruitment strategies.

'Knowledge exchange' workshops to optimise development of a risk prediction tool to assist conveyance decisions for suspected seizures - Part of the Risk of ADverse Outcomes after a Suspected Seizure (RADOSS) project.

PURPOSE: Suspected seizures present challenges for ambulance services, with paramedics reporting uncertainty over whether or not to convey individuals to emergency departments. The Risk of ADverse Outcomes after a Suspected Seizure (RADOSS) project aims to address this by developing a risk assessment tool utilizing structured patient care record and dispatch data. It proposes a tool that would provide estimates of an individual's likelihood of death and/or recontact with emergency care within 3 days if conveyed compared to not conveyed, and the likelihood of an 'avoidable attendance' occurring if conveyed. Knowledge Exchange workshops engaged stakeholders to resolve key design uncertainties before model derivation. METHOD: Six workshops involved 26 service users and their significant others (epilepsy or nonepileptic attack disorder), and 25 urgent and emergency care clinicians from different English ambulance regions. Utilizing Nominal Group Techniques, participants shared views of the proposed tool, benefits and concerns, suggested predictors, critiqued outcome measures, and expressed functionality preferences. Data were analysed using Hamilton's Rapid Analysis. RESULTS: Stakeholders supported tool development, proposing 10 structured variables for predictive testing. Emphasis was placed on the tool supporting, not dictating, care decisions. Participants highlighted some reasons why RADOSS might struggle to derive a predictive model based on structured data alone and suggested some non-structured variables for future testing. Feedback on prediction timeframes for service recontact was received, along with advice on amending the 'avoidable attendance' definition to prevent the tool's predictions being undermined by potential overuse of certain investigations in hospital. CONCLUSION: Collaborative stakeholder engagement provided crucial insights that can guide RADOSS to develop a user-aligned, optimized tool.

How important are delays in treatment for health outcomes? The case of ambulance response time and cardiovascular events.

The cost effectiveness of medical treatments is not precisely known due to the compounding effect of multiple determining factors. Ambulance response time (RT) to emergency calls is exploited to learn more about the effect of the timing of treatment on health outcomes. This causal relation is identified by exploiting rainfall at the time of the ambulance run as a shock to RT. The analysis focuses on patients who have undergone a cardiac event and shows that a one-minute increase in average RT leads to 105 more deaths each year in one Italian region. Finally, the economic value of the lives that would be saved by reducing RT is quantified to facilitate policymaking.

The safety of methoxyflurane for emergency pain relief in children and adolescents: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: The use of methoxyflurane is becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of pain in an emergency setting, in part due to its ease of administration. However, little is known about the risk of serious adverse events in children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the safety of methoxyflurane in a pediatric population. METHODS: The study was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric prehospital events using probabilistic linked health data. All ambulance transfers in Western Australia between 1990 and 2016 involving children and adolescent patients were identified. Patients were categorised based on administered analgesia: methoxyflurane, an opioid analgesic, both methoxyflurane and an opioid analgesic, or no analgesic. Hospital and mortality data were linked to transferred patients to identify deaths, adverse drug reactions, liver and kidney toxicity, and re-admissions to hospital following ambulance transfer. Generalized linear models, adjusting for sociodemographic and ambulance transfer characteristics, were used to compare outcomes between children exposed to methoxyflurane and the other three groups. RESULTS: The study cohort consisted of 37,211 children, including 9,472 patients (25.5%) treated with methoxyflurane alone, 2,764 (7.4%) treated with an opioid analgesic, 1,235 (3.3%) treated with both methoxyflurane and an opioid analgesic, and 23,740 (63.8%) treated with no analgesic. Death in children and adolescents was uncommon, with less than five deaths (<0.1%) observed in the 12 months following treatment with methoxyflurane and no deaths in those treated with both methoxyflurane and an opioid analgesic. Adverse drug reaction was rare (<0.1%) in patients treated with methoxyflurane, as was liver and kidney toxicity with no case observed. At 90-days follow-up, there was no significant difference in hospitalization in patients treated with methoxyflurane and those treated with methoxyflurane and an opioid analgesic (adjusted OR:1.01, 95%CI:0.85-1.21). Compared with methoxyflurane treated patients, patients treated with an opioid analgesic were more likely to be hospitalized (aOR:1.23, 95%CI:1.09-1.39), while patients treated with no analgesic were less likely to be hospitalized (aOR:0.85, 95%CI:0.79-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: In children and adolescents transported by ambulance, the use of methoxyflurane was not associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, death, serious adverse drug reactions or liver and kidney toxicity.

A brief history of ramping.

'Ramping' is a commonly used term in contemporary Australian healthcare. It is also a part of the public and political zeitgeist. However, its precise definition varies among sources. In the published literature, there are distinctions between related terms, such as 'entry overload' and 'Patient Off Stretcher Time Delay'. How ramping is defined and how it came to be defined have significance for policies and procedures relating to the described phenomenon. Through examination of the history of the term, insights are obtained into the underlying issues contributing to ramping and, accordingly, associated possible solutions.

Western Australia remote aeromedical substance use disorders outcomes.

INTRODUCTION: Substance use disorders (SUDs) cause significant harm to regional Australians, who are more likely to misuse alcohol and other drugs (AODs) and encounter difficulty in accessing treatment services. The primary aims of this study were to describe the demographics of patients aeromedically retrieved from regional locations and compare hospital outcomes with a metropolitan-based cohort. AIMS: Retrospective case-controlled cohort study. Participants were aeromedically retrieved within Western Australia for SUDs between 1 July 2014 and 30 June 2019. Retrieved patients were case-matched based on age and hospital discharge diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and χ2 analysis were used to summarise the findings. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-six (91.3%) aeromedical retrievals were found, with the majority being male (n = 95; 69.9%). These were case-matched to 427 metropolitan patients, the majority male (n = 321; 75.2%). Retrieved patients were more likely (all P < 0.05) Indigenous (odds ratio [OR], 9.35 [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.96-14.85]), unemployed (OR, 2.9 [95% CI, 1.41-6.80]), referred to a tertiary hospital (OR, 2.18 [95% CI, 1.24-3.86]) and to stay longer in hospital (OR, 1.08 [95% CI, 1.02-1.14]). DISCUSSION: Findings highlight that unmarried and/or unemployed males were overrepresented in the retrieval group, with over half identifying as Indigenous. Regional variation in retrievals was noted, while amphetamine-type stimulants featured prominently in the retrieval cohort, who experienced longer hospital stays and more restrictive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Comparing clinical outcomes for retrieved regional patients experiencing SUDs, service design and delivery should focus on offering culturally safe care for Indigenous people, catering for regional health care catchment areas, while ideally adopting collaborative and integrated approaches between AODs and mental health services.

'If It Was Easy Somebody Would Have Fixed It': An Exploration of Loneliness and Social Isolation Amongst People Who Frequently Call Ambulance Services.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to explore social isolation and loneliness in those who frequently contacted the ambulance service, what factors contributed to this and how unmet needs could be addressed. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with staff from the ambulance service and service users who were identified as frequently contacting the ambulance service. Service users also completed the UCLA loneliness scale and personal community maps. Data were analysed thematically before triangulation with the UCLA loneliness scale and personal community maps. RESULTS: The final analysis was drawn from 15 staff and seven service user participants. The relationship between social isolation and loneliness and contacting the ambulance service was a contributing, but not the driving, factor in contacting the ambulance service. For service users, we identified three key themes: (1) impact on activities of daily living and loneliness and/or isolation as a result of a health condition; (2) accessing appropriate health and social care services to meet needs; (3) the link between social isolation and/or loneliness and contact with the ambulance service. The analysis of staff data also highlighted three key themes: (1) social isolation and/or loneliness in their role; (2) access to other appropriate health and social care services; (3) the impact of austerity and Covid-19 on social isolation and/or loneliness. CONCLUSIONS: Our research emphasises the complex nature of social isolation and loneliness, including the cyclic nature of poor health and social isolation and loneliness, and how this contributes to contact with the ambulance service. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The advisory group for the study was supported by a public and patient representative who contributed to the design of the study documentation, data analysis and authorship.

Modelling cost-effectiveness of replacement strategies for ambulance services in the Ministry of Health Malaysia.

BACKGROUND: Emergency Medical Service (EMS) is a very crucial aspect of the healthcare system in providing urgent management and transportation of patients during emergencies. The sustainability of the services is however greatly impacted by the quality and age of ambulances. While this has led to numerous replacement policy recommendations, the implementations are often limited due to a lack of evidence and financial constraints. This study thus aims to develop a cost-effectiveness model and testing the model by evaluating the cost-effectiveness of 10-year and 15-year compulsory ambulance replacement strategies in public healthcare for the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH). METHODS: A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost and outcomes ambulance replacement strategies over a period of 20 years. The model was tested using two alternative strategies of 10-year and 15-year. Model inputs were derived from published literature and local study. Model development and economic analysis were accomplished using Microsoft Excel 2016. The outcomes generated were costs per year, the number of missed trips and the number of lives saved, in addition to the Incremental Cost-Effectiveness Ratio (ICER). One-Way Deterministic Sensitivity Analysis (DSA) and Probabilistic Sensitivity Analysis (PSA) were conducted to identify the key drivers and to assess the robustness of the model. RESULTS: Findings showed that the most expensive strategy, which is the implementation of 10 years replacement strategy was more cost-effective than 15 years ambulance replacement strategy, with an ICER of MYR 11,276.61 per life saved. While an additional MYR 13.0 million would be incurred by switching from a 15- to 10-year replacement strategy, this would result in 1,157 deaths averted or additional live saved per year. Sensitivity analysis showed that the utilization of ambulances and the mortality rate of cases unattended by ambulances were the key drivers for the cost-effectiveness of the replacement strategies. CONCLUSIONS: The cost-effectiveness model developed suggests that an ambulance replacement strategy of every 10 years should be considered by the MOH in planning sustainable EMS. While this model may have its own limitation and may require some modifications to suit the local context, it can be used as a guide for future economic evaluations of ambulance replacement strategies and further exploration of alternative solutions.

Sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with psychological resilience in South African healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Psychological resilience facilitates adaptation in stressful environments and is an important personal characteristic that enables workers to navigate occupational challenges. Few studies have evaluated the factors associated with psychological resilience in healthcare workers. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence and factors associated with psychological resilience in a group of South African medical doctors and ambulance personnel. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This analytical cross-sectional study used secondary data obtained from two studies conducted among healthcare workers in 2019 and 2022. Self-reported factors associated with resilience, as measured by the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale-10 (CD-RISC-10), were evaluated. R statistical software was used for analysing the data and performing statistical tests. RESULTS: A total of 647 healthcare workers were included in the study, of which 259 were doctors and 388 were ambulance personnel. Resilience scores were low overall (27.6 ± 6.6) but higher for ambulance personnel (28.0 ± 6.9) than for doctors (27.1 ± 6.0) (p = 0.006). Female gender (OR 1.94, 95%CI 1.03-3.72, p = 0.043), job category (OR 6.94 95%CI 1.22-60.50, p = 0.044) and overtime work (OR 13.88, 95%CI 1.61-368.00, p = 0.044) significantly increased the odds of low resilience for doctors. Conversely, salary (OR 0.13, 95%CI 0.02-0.64, p = 0.024) and current smoking status (OR 0.16, 95%CI 0.02-0.66, p = 0.027) significantly reduced the odds of low resilience amongst doctors. In addition, only previous alcohol use significantly reduced the odds of low resilience for ambulance personnel (OR 0.44, 95%CI 0.20-0.94, p = 0.038) and overall sample (OR 0.52, 95%CI 0.29-0.91, p = 0.024). CONCLUSIONS: Resilience was relatively low in this group of South African healthcare workers. The strong association between low resilience and individual and workplace factors provides avenues for early intervention and building resilience among healthcare workers.

Paramedics' experiences of barriers to, and enablers of, responding to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Paramedics' work, even pre-pandemic, can be confronting and dangerous. As pandemics add extra stressors, the study explored paramedics' lived experience of the barriers to, and enablers of, responding to suspected or confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases. METHODS: This exploratory-descriptive qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to investigate Queensland metropolitan paramedics' experiences of responding to cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Registered Paramedics were recruited by criterion sampling of staff who experienced the COVID-19 pandemic as active officers. RESULTS: Nine registered paramedics participated. Five themes emerged: communication, fear and risk, work-related protective factors, leadership, and change. Unique barriers included impacts on effective communication due to the mobile nature of paramedicine, inconsistent policies/procedures between different healthcare facilities, dispatch of incorrect information to paramedics, assisting people to navigate the changing healthcare system, and wearing personal protective equipment in hot, humid environments. A lower perceived risk from COVID-19, and increased empathy after recovering from COVID-19 were unique enablers. CONCLUSIONS: This study uncovered barriers and enablers to attending suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases unique to paramedicine, often stemming from the mobile nature of prehospital care, and identifies the need for further research in paramedicine post-pandemic to better understand how paramedics can be supported during public health emergencies to ensure uninterrupted ambulance service delivery.

The relationship between ambulance team's professional commitment, occupational anxiety, and resilience levels.

BACKGROUND: Individuals who have the ability to bounce back from stressful events, to recover from their troubles and adverse environmental conditions by getting stronger each time are known as resilient people. Some professions may cause more occupational anxiety than others due to their characteristics and working conditions. In this research, we aimed to develop a professional commitment scale for the ambulance team. Another aim was to analyze the relationships between professional commitment, occupational anxiety, resilience, gender, job, seniority and working unit variables. METHODS: In the study, data were collected from a total of 1142 emergency ambulance workers working in Emergency Ambulance and Emergency Call Centers in 34 different cities in Turkey. Data were collected using the "Professional Commitment of Ambulance Team Scale (PCATS), Occupational Anxiety Scale for Emergency Medical Service Professionals (OASEMSP), and Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA). Scale development analyses were carried out using Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). Regression analysis were used to examine the relationships between professional commitment, occupational anxiety, resilience, gender, job, seniority and working unit. RESULTS: As a result of the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), it was determined that 8 items remaining in the professional commitment scale formed a single-factor structure, explaining 46% of the variance of professional commitment of the team. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability value was 0.867. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the results of exploratory factor analysis. The Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient obtained through CTT was 0.868, and the marginal reliability coefficient within the scope of IRT was 0.877. The test-retest reliability coefficient was calculated as 0.832, which indicates that the scale is valid and reliable. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that resilience has a positive effect for professional commitment while occupational anxiety has a negative effect for professional commitment. In addition, having a moderate seniority has a negative (reducing) effect for professional commitment. Other variables (gender, job, and working unit) was found to have no significant impact on professional commitment.

The effect of power stretchers on occupational injury rates in an urban emergency medical services system.

BACKGROUND: To examine occupational injury rates in a dual-response emergency medical services (EMS) system before and after implementation of a power-lift stretcher system. METHODS: The seasonally-adjusted occupational injury rate was estimated relative to medical call volume (per 1000 calls) and workers (per 100 FTEs) from 2009 to 2019, and stratified by severity (lost-time, healthcare only), role (EMS, FIRE) and type (patient-handling). Power-lift stretchers were adopted between 2013 and 2015. Preinjury versus postinjury rates were compared using binomial tests. Interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was used to estimate the trend and change in injuries related to patient-handling, with occupational illnesses serving as control. RESULTS: Binomial tests revealed varied results, with reductions in the injury rate per 1000 calls (-14.0%) and increases in the rate per 100 FTEs (+14.1%); rates also differed by EMS role and injury severity. ITS analysis demonstrated substantial reductions in patient-handling injuries following implementation of power-lift stretchers, both in the injury rate per 1000 calls (-50.4%) and per 100 FTEs (-46.6%), specifically among individuals deployed on the ambulance. Injury rates were slightly elevated during the winter months (+0.8 per 100 FTEs) and lower during spring (-0.5 per 100 FTEs). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the implementation of power-lift stretchers for injury prevention in EMS systems and demonstrate advantages of ITS analysis when data span long preintervention and postintervention periods.

Ethics rounds in the ambulance service: a qualitative evaluation.

BACKGROUND: It is a common ethical challenge for ambulance clinicians to care for patients with impaired decision-making capacities while assessing and determining the degree of decision-making ability and considering ethical values. Ambulance clinicians' ethical competence seems to be increasingly important in coping with such varied ethical dilemmas. Ethics rounds is a model designed to promote the development of ethical competence among clinicians. While standard in other contexts, to the best of our knowledge, it has not been applied within the ambulance service context. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe ambulance clinicians' experiences of participating in ethics rounds. METHODS: This was a qualitative descriptive study, evaluating an intervention. Data were collected through sixteen interviews with ambulance clinicians who had participated in an intervention involving ethics rounds. The analysis was performed by use of content analysis. RESULTS: Two themes describe the participants' experiences: (1) Reflecting freely within a given framework, and (2) Being surprised by new insights. The following categories form the basis of the themes; 1a) Gentle guidance by the facilitator, 1b) A comprehensible structure, 2a) New awareness in the face of ethical problems, and 2b) Shared learning through dialogue. CONCLUSION: Incorporating structured ethics rounds seems to create a continuous development in ethical competence that may improve the quality of care in the ambulance service. Structured guidance and facilitated group reflections offer ambulance clinicians opportunities for both personal and professional development. An important prerequisite for the development of ethical competence is a well-educated facilitator. Consequently, this type of ethics rounds may be considered a useful pedagogical model for the development of ethical competence in the ambulance service.

Work-related stress, stress reactions and coping strategies in ambulance nurses: A qualitative interview study.

AIM: To describe experiences of work-related stress, stress reactions and coping strategies among registered nurses (RNs) in the ambulance service (AS). DESIGN: A descriptive and qualitative design. METHODS: Participants were recruited from eight different ambulance stations from different geographical locations in central Sweden. Data were collected from 14 RNs during the period from January 2022 to May 2022 using a semi-structured interview guide. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data using an abductive approach. RESULTS: Three categories describe the RNs' experiences; (1) Situations that cause work-related stress, (2) Reactions and feelings that occur and (3) Management of work-related stress. These three main categories included a total of 12 subcategories. Work-related stress was experienced when participants were a part of traumatic events or experienced insufficient cooperation or a disturbing event in the work environment. The different causes lead to different kinds of reactions with feelings of frustration, fear and loneliness being prominent. To manage the work-related stress, RNs used different kinds of strategies and support from colleagues or lack thereof seemed to have a major impact. CONCLUSIONS: Findings revealed the importance of having competent colleagues in the AS. Working with a competent colleague can reduce experiences of stress and prevent feelings of loneliness. It is important for the AS to provide stress-reduction support, to promote cooperation and to maintain and develop RNs' professional competence to ensure quality care and patient safety in the AS.

Bracing for the next wave: A critical incident study of frontline decision-making, adaptation and learning in ambulance care during COVID-19.

AIM: To explore frontline decision-making, adaptation, and learning in ambulance care during the evolving COVID-19 pandemic. DESIGN: Descriptive and interpretative qualitative study. METHODS: Twenty-eight registered nurses from the Swedish ambulance services described 56 critical incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic through free-text questionnaires. The material was analysed using the Critical Incident Technique and Interpretive Description through the lens of potential for resilient performance. RESULTS: The findings were synthesized into four themes: 'Navigating uncharted waters under never-ending pressure', 'Balancing on the brink of an abyss', 'Sacrificing the few to save the many' and 'Bracing for the next wave'. Frontline decision-making during a pandemic contribute to ethical dilemmas while necessitating difficult prioritizations to adapt and respond to limited resources. Learning was manifested through effective information sharing and the identification of successful adaptations as compared to maladaptations. CONCLUSIONS: During pandemics or under other extreme conditions, decisions must be made promptly, even amidst emerging chaos, potentially necessitating the use of untested methods and ad-hoc solutions due to initial lack of knowledge and guidelines. Within ambulance care, dynamic leadership becomes imperative, combining autonomous frontline decision-making with support from management. Strengthening ethical competence and fostering ethical discourse may enhance confidence in decision-making, particularly under ethically challenging circumstances. IMPACT: Performance under extreme conditions can elevate the risk of suboptimal decision-making and adverse outcomes, with older adults being especially vulnerable. Thus, requiring targeted decision support and interventions. Enhancing patient safety in ambulance care during such conditions demands active participation and governance from management, along with decision support and guidelines. Vertical communication and collaboration between management and frontline professionals are essential to ensure that critical information, guidelines, and resources are effectively disseminated and implemented. Further research is needed into management and leadership in ambulance care, alongside the ethical challenges in frontline decision-making under extreme conditions. REPORTING METHOD: Findings are reported per consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.

Nurses' use of an advisory decision support system in ambulance services: A qualitative study.

AIM: To illuminate from the perspective of nurses in ambulance services the experiences of using a web-based advisory decision support system to assess care needs and refer patients. DESIGN: Inductive and descriptive approaches. METHOD: Thirteen semi-structured interviews were conducted in the spring of 2020. The data were analysed through the reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The Swedish web-based advisory decision support system (ADSS) was found to strengthen nurses' feelings of security when they assess patients' care needs, promote their competence and professional pride, and help them manage stress. However, the system also generated difficulties for nurses to adjust to the dynamic ambulance team and revealed a discrepancy between their professional roles and responsibilities to refer patients and provide self-care advice. The nurses thought that the support system facilitated their increased participation and helped them understand patients and significant others by offering transparency in assessment and decision making. Thus, the support system provides nurses with an opportunity to strengthen patients' independence through information and education. However, in the care relationship, nurses worked to overcome patients' expectations. CONCLUSION: Nurses using the ADSS increased their security while performing assessments and referrals and found new opportunities to provide information and promote understanding of their decisions. However, nursing care values can be threatened when new support systems are introduced, especially as ambulance services become increasingly protocol-driven. IMPLICATIONS FOR PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: These findings have implications for nurses' work environments and help them maintain consistency in making medical assessments and in providing equivalent self-care advice when referring patients to the different levels of care. The findings will also impact researchers and policymakers who formulate decision support systems. REPORTING METHOD: Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.