The impact of a freestanding ED on a regional emergency medical services system.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study is to examine the effect of the opening of a freestanding emergency department (FED) on the surrounding emergency medical services (EMS) system through an examination of EMS system metrics such as ambulance call volume, ambulance response times, and turnaround times. METHODS: This study is based on data from the county's computer-aided dispatch center, the FED, and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission. The analysis involved a pre/post design, with a 6-month washout period. The preintervention period was April to October 2010, and the postintervention period was April to October 2011. Data were analyzed using standard t tests. RESULTS: The average daily number of EMS-related calls received in the computer-aided dispatch center was lower after the FED opened (16.3 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 15.7-16.9] vs 15.8 [95% CI, 14.9-16.9]). One-fourth of all patients were transported by ambulance to the FED after it opened. Use of the FED and adjacent hospitals increased by 8647 visits (15.8%) during the study period. Turnaround time for the county's ALS units decreased from 26.8 (95% CI, 26.2-27.5) to 25.1 (95% CI, 24.3-25.8) minutes. The ambulance out-of-service interval decreased from 87.3 (95% CI, 86.0-88.5) to 81.1 (95% CI, 79.7-82.4) minutes. Based on change in out-of-service this study had a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.33). CONCLUSIONS: The opening of an FED was associated with a modest improvement in time-specific EMS system metrics: a decrease in ambulance turnaround time and shorter out-of-service intervals.

Maryland's Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Experience From 2001 to 2011: System Improvements and Patients' Outcomes.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Helicopter emergency medical services (EMS) has become a well-established component of modern trauma systems. It is an expensive, limited resource with potential safety concerns. Helicopter EMS activation criteria intended to increase efficiency and reduce inappropriate use remain elusive and difficult to measure. This study evaluates the effect of statewide field trauma triage changes on helicopter EMS use and patient outcomes. METHODS: Data were extracted from the helicopter EMS computer-aided dispatch database for in-state scene flights and from the state Trauma Registry for all trauma patients directly admitted from the scene or transferred to trauma centers from July 1, 2000, to June 30, 2011. Computer-aided dispatch flights were analyzed for periods corresponding to field triage protocol modifications intended to improve system efficiency. Outcomes were separately analyzed for trauma registry patients by mode of transport. RESULTS: The helicopter EMS computer-aided dispatch data set included 44,073 transports. There was a statewide decrease in helicopter EMS usage for trauma patients of 55.9%, differentially affecting counties closer to trauma centers. The Trauma Registry data set included 182,809 patients (37,407 helicopter transports, 128,129 ambulance transports, and 17,273 transfers). There was an increase of 21% in overall annual EMS scene trauma patients transported; ground transports increased by 33%, whereas helicopter EMS transports decreased by 49%. Helicopter EMS patient acuity increased, with an attendant increase in patient mortality. However, when standardized with W statistics, both helicopter EMS- and ground-transported trauma patients showed sustained improvement in mortality. CONCLUSION: Modifications to state protocols were associated with decreased helicopter EMS use and overall improved trauma patient outcomes.

Comparison of prediction models for use of medical resources at urban auto-racing events.

UNLABELLED: INTRODUCTION Predicting the number of patient encounters and transports during mass gatherings can be challenging. The nature of these events necessitates that proper resources are available to meet the needs that arise. Several prediction models to assist event planners in forecasting medical utilization have been proposed in the literature. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM: The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Arbon and Hartman models in predicting the number of patient encounters and transportations from the Baltimore Grand Prix (BGP), held in 2011 and 2012. It was hypothesized that the Arbon method, which utilizes regression model-derived equations to estimate, would be more accurate than the Hartman model, which categorizes events into only three discreet severity types. METHODS: This retrospective analysis of the BGP utilized data collected from an electronic patient tracker system. The actual number of patients evaluated and transported at the BGP was tabulated and compared to the numbers predicted by the two studied models. Several environmental features including weather, crowd attendance, and presence of alcohol were used in the Arbon and Hartman models. RESULTS: Approximately 130,000 spectators attended the first event, and approximately 131,000 attended the second. The number of patient encounters per day ranged from 19 to 57 in 2011, and the number of transports from the scene ranged from two to nine. In 2012, the number of patients ranged from 19 to 44 per day, and the number of transports to emergency departments ranged from four to nine. With the exception of one day in 2011, the Arbon model over predicted the number of encounters. For both events, the Hartman model over predicted the number of patient encounters. In regard to hospital transports, the Arbon model under predicted the actual numbers whereas the Hartman model both over predicted and under predicted the number of transports from both events, varying by day. CONCLUSIONS: These findings call attention to the need for the development of a versatile and accurate model that can more accurately predict the number of patient encounters and transports associated with mass-gathering events so that medical needs can be anticipated and sufficient resources can be provided.

A regional system of stroke care provides thrombolytic outcomes comparable with the NINDS stroke trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke remains controversial in community practice. Well-organized hierarchic systems of acute stroke care have been proposed to link community hospitals to comprehensive stroke centers. We report safety and functional outcomes in patients treated with tPA in our regional emergency stroke network and compare them with results reported from the trial conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). METHODS: Through a statewide communications and transport network, our brain attack center gives emergency medicine staff in the state and surrounding area immediate access to stroke specialists. The team provides consultation about the administration of tPA for ischemic stroke, using the NINDS protocol. Consultations, treatment, and outcomes are documented in our database. RESULTS: From 1996 to 2005, the brain attack center completed 2,670 consultations and diagnosed 1,788 patients with ischemic stroke. Two hundred forty patients (9% of all consultations; 13.4% of those with acute ischemic stroke) received tPA. Percentages of patients with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and 3-month modified Rankin scale scores less than or equal to 1, compared with those in the NINDS trial, were as follows: 3.3% versus 6.4% and 53% versus 43% (P=.04). Mortality rates were 13% (network) versus 17% (NINDS). CONCLUSION: During a 9-year period, an emergency medicine network with stroke consultants achieved patient outcomes comparable to those reported from the NINDS trial. These results indicate that the NINDS tPA protocol is applicable to community practice, with the support of a university-based brain attack center.