Leadership Perspectives on Criteria-Based Dispatch and Prehospital Triage in Thailand's Emergency Medical Services: A 10-Year National Trend Analysis and Policy Implications.

Introduction: Criteria-Based Dispatch (CBD) is Thailand's national telephone-based prehospital triage system used to prioritize emergency response and allocate resources. However, long-term national trends in CBD utilization and their implications for healthcare leadership remain limited. Purpose: This study aimed to analyze 10-year trends in CBD utilization in Thailand (2012-2022), focusing on overall patterns, age groups, and geographic variations to inform policy and EMS planning. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study analyzed 14,763,882 emergency calls recorded in the national EMS database. Trend analyses were conducted to assess temporal changes across CBD categories, demographic subgroups, and regions. Results: Of 14,758,415 eligible calls, CBD 25 (motor vehicle accident) was the most common category (23.6%) and showed a significant increasing trend with seasonal peaks during the New Year period (p < 0.001). Adults aged 18-59 years accounted for the largest proportion of calls (52.4%), with CBD 25 predominating (31.5%). Among older adults (≥60 years), CBD 17 (sick [unknown]/other) was most frequent (33.3%). Regionally, the Northeast had the highest call volume (46.7%), where CBD 17 predominated, while CBD 25 was most common in other regions. Conclusion: These findings describe important variations in EMS demand across population groups and regions and may inform workforce planning, resource allocation, and targeted prevention strategies.