Document Detail


Medical Necessity in Emergency Medical Services Transports.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  22202558     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
The purpose of this study was to generate national estimates of the prevalence of medically unnecessary emergency medical services (EMS) transports to emergency departments (EDs) over time and to identify characteristics that may be associated with medically unnecessary transports. A previously published algorithm was applied to operationalize medical necessity based on ED diagnosis to 10 years of data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey. The trend over time was reported using descriptive statistics weighted to produce national estimates. Nationally, the proportion of EMS transports that were medically unnecessary increased from 13% to 17% over the 10-year study period. Individual demographic characteristics, including insurance status, were not predictive of inappropriate utilization. EMS transports for medically unnecessary complaints increased from 1997 to 2007. Our findings from a nationally representative sample highlight the opportunity for alternative patient delivery strategies for select patients seeking EMS services.
Authors:
Matthew D Weaver; Charity G Moore; P Daniel Patterson; Donald M Yealy
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-12-27
Journal Detail:
Title:  American journal of medical quality : the official journal of the American College of Medical Quality     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1555-824X     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-12-28     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9300756     Medline TA:  Am J Med Qual     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
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