Demographic and clinical characteristics of frequent users of emergency medical services in Türkiye.

Background/aim: Overuse of emergency medical services (EMS), particularly unnecessary ambulance requests, places considerable strain on limited healthcare resources and can delay responses to urgent cases. The present study analyzes the demographic characteristics, diagnoses, urgency, and hospital transfer status of frequent users of EMS in Türkiye. Materials and methods: Included in the study were 41,113 patients who requested EMS four or more times within a year (defined as frequent users for the purpose of the study), excluding interhospital transfers. Data were accessed from the Emergency Medical Services Automation System (ASOS) database, which contains details of patient demographics, diagnoses, triage codes, reasons for calls, interventions, time spent at the scene, and hospital destinations. Results: During the study period, frequent users accounted for 282,143 of all ambulance assignments. The mean age was 59.0 ± 23.5 years; those aged ≥65 and above comprised the largest group (50.2%); 50.2% were female, and the mean number of EMS utilizations per patient was 13.4 ± 26.1. Nontraumatic medical reasons accounted for 92.4% of the total ambulance requests, with dyspnea, COVID-19, and nausea/vomiting being the most common in adults, and epilepsy, fever, and nausea/vomiting in pediatric patients. Ambulance teams spent an average of over 50 min per case, and most requests were made between 08:00 and 15:59. Conclusion: Requests for ambulances in non-emergency situations may contribute to delays in the care of other patients. Further research is needed to explore the underlying reasons for frequent EMS utilization and to develop targeted strategies, such as improved chronic disease management and enhanced access to outpatient and home care services, and to optimize EMS resource allocation and patient outcomes.