Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38475735›Full record

ArticleBMC emergency medicine2024

Patient experience of non-conveyance in the EMS of Southwest Finland: a descriptive survey study.

Eetu Skaffari, Timo Iirola, Hilla Nordquist

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC emergency medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
2.8field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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

6 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. "I just needed help": a qualitative study of patients' experiences with a single responder ambulance.Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine · 2026
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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

3 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Eetu SkaffariCentre for Prehospital Emergency Care, Emergency Medical Services, Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa, Satakunnankatu 16, FI-33100, Tampere, Finland.
Timo IirolaEmergency Medical Services, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, FI-20521, Turku, PO Box 52, Finland.ORCID 0000-0002-9019-849X
Hilla NordquistDepartment of Healthcare and Emergency Care, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, Pääskysentie 1, FI-48220, Kotka, Finland. hilla.nordquist@xamk.fi.ORCID 0000-0001-9641-6518
Finland University · FIPirkanmaa Hospital District · FIUniversity of Turku · FI

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEmergency Medical Services are dispatched more frequently than before. However, many non-urgent patients do not need ambulance transportation to a healthcare facility after evaluation and treatment on scene. This study explored the experiences of non-conveyed patients. Our research questions were: (1) How have non-conveyed patients experienced the service received from EMS? (2) Does a patient's age, gender, or time of the emergency call impact the patient's experience?

methodsThis descriptive survey study examined non-conveyed Emergency Medical Services patients in the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland. The study period was from March 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023. The study population was 1017. They received a questionnaire that was sent by mail. The questionnaire was formed based on questions previously used in four different questionnaires. We received 247 answers (24.3% response rate). Percentages, medians with interquartile ranges, and non-parametric tests were used in the descriptive analyses.

resultsNon-conveyed patients were very satisfied with the paramedics' expertise and behavior, their ability to meet their individual needs, the sense of safety provided by the paramedics, and the instructions given to the patients. Time to receive help (19% rated 3 or less on a scale from 1 to 5), how paramedics introduced themselves (16.5%), and satisfaction with non-conveyance decisions (14.6%) were more frequently rated lower than other areas. Further, pain management stood out in the less favorable evaluations. Still, patients' experiences of the service were positive. The age group, gender, or time of the emergency call were not associated with patient experience.

conclusionsPatients were very satisfied with the paramedics' interpersonal skills. A more focused approach to pain management and developing EMS to ensure faster patient outreach and clearer explanations of non-conveyance decisions could further enhance the patient experience.

Indexed as

Emergency Medical ServicesAmbulancesFinlandHumansPatient Outcome AssessmentSurveys and QuestionnairesEmergency medical services (MeSH)Non-conveyanceParamedics (MeSH)Patient experienceSurveys and questionnaires (MeSH)

Identifiers

PMID38475735
PMCPMC10935972
OpenAlexW4392755944

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.