ArticleHealth research policy and systems2019
Ambulances are for emergencies: shifting attitudes through a research-informed behaviour change campaign.
Article in Health research policy and systems, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Are social networks effective in promoting healthy behaviors? A systematic review of evaluations of public health campaigns broadcast on Twitter.Frontiers in public health · 2022Pooled it
- Why do patients seek emergency care for problems that could be managed in primary care? A scoping review.Family practice · 2025Article
- Public Beliefs About Accessibility and Quality of Emergency Departments in Germany.The western journal of emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Characteristics of successful government-led interventions to support healthier populations: a starting portfolio of positive outlier examples.BMJ global health · 2023Article
- Emergency medical services: the next linking asset for public health approaches to palliative care?Palliative care and social practice · 2023Article
- Tendency to call an ambulance or attend an emergency department for minor or non-urgent problems: a vignette-based population survey in Britain.Emergency medicine journal : EMJ · 2022Article
- Factors affects the performance of red crescent paramedics, Bisha, Saudi Arabia.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Ambulances are for emergencies: shifting behaviour through a research-informed behaviour change campaign.Health research policy and systems · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn Victoria, Australia, emergency calls requesting an ambulance have been increasing at a rate higher than population growth. While most of these calls are for genuine emergencies, many do not require an immediate ambulance response. A collaborative research approach was undertaken to address this issue. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of applying a behaviour change approach to this challenge by first addressing antecedents of behaviour (attitudes, awareness and knowledge).
methodsThe project included a formative research phase to inform the design of a mass media campaign and subsequent evaluation of the campaign.
resultsResults indicated that the campaign was successful in increasing community attitudes towards ambulances as being for emergencies only, particularly among those familiar with the campaign material and with other health service options (such as telephone advice lines).
conclusionsThese findings provide support for adopting the Forum approach to increase the chances that a mass media campaign will achieve its stated objectives. Recommendations for future campaign activities are discussed.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.