Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38086589›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2023

Development of indicators for avoidable emergency medical service calls by mapping paramedic clinical impression codes to ambulatory care sensitive conditions and mental health conditions in the UK and Canada.

Gina Agarwal, Aloysius Niroshan Siriwardena, Brent McLeod, Robert Spaight, Gregory Adam Whitley, Richard Ferron, Melissa Pirrie, Ricardo Angeles, Harriet Moore, Mark Gussy and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Gina AgarwalDepartment of Family Medicine, Hamilton, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada gina.agarwal@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-5691-4675
Aloysius Niroshan SiriwardenaLincoln School of Health and Social Care, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2484-8201
Brent McLeodHamilton Paramedic Service, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Robert SpaightEast Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Lincoln, UK.
Gregory Adam WhitleyEast Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Lincoln, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-2586-6815
Richard FerronNiagara Emergency Medical Services, Niagara, Ontario, Canada.
Melissa PirrieDepartment of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.ORCID 0000-0003-1407-4775
Ricardo AngelesDepartment of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Harriet MooreUniversity of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
Mark GussyUniversity of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
EDGE Consortium
University of Lincoln · GBEast Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust · GBMcMaster University · CAHamilton Health Sciences · CA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveParamedic assessment data have not been used for research on avoidable calls. Paramedic impression codes are designated by paramedics on responding to a 911/999 medical emergency after an assessment of the presenting condition. Ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSCs) are non-acute health conditions not needing hospital admission when properly managed. This study aimed to map the paramedic impression codes to ACSCs and mental health conditions for use in future research on avoidable 911/999 calls.

designMapping paramedic impression codes to existing definitions of ACSCs and mental health conditions.

settingEast Midlands Region, UK and Southern Ontario, Canada.

participantsExpert panel from the UK-Canada Emergency Calls Data analysis and GEospatial mapping (EDGE) Consortium.

resultsMapping was iterative first identifying the common ACSCs shared between the two countries then identifying the respective clinical impression codes for each country that mapped to those shared ACSCs as well as to mental health conditions. Experts from the UK-Canada EDGE Consortium contributed to both phases and were able to independently match the codes and then compare results. Clinical impression codes for paramedics in the UK were more extensive than those in Ontario. The mapping revealed some interesting inconsistencies between paramedic impression codes but also demonstrated that it was possible.

conclusionThis is an important first step in determining the number of ASCSs and mental health conditions that paramedics attend to, and in examining the clinical pathways of these individuals across the health system. This work lays the foundation for international comparative health services research on integrated pathways in primary care and emergency medical services.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesEmergency Medical TechniciansAllied Health PersonnelAmbulatory Care Sensitive ConditionsHumansMental HealthOntarioParamedicsUnited KingdomACCIDENT & EMERGENCY MEDICINEHEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION & MANAGEMENTPrimary Health Care

Identifiers

PMID38086589
PMCPMC10729076
OpenAlexW4389612996

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.