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Identifying rural-urban differences in the predictors of emergency ambulance service demand and misuse. 2019

Ho Ting Wong, and Teng-Kang Lin, and Jen-Jia Lin
Department of Geography, National Taiwan University, Taiwan; School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Electronic address: frankwong@connect.hku.hk.

OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess rural-urban differences in the predictors of emergency ambulance service (EAS) demand and misuse in New Taipei City. Identifying the predictors of EAS demand will help the EAS service managing authority in formulating focused policies to maintain service quality. METHODS Over 160,000 electronic EAS usage records were used with a negative binomial regression model to assess rural-urban differences in the predictors of EAS demand and misuse. RESULTS The factors of 1) ln-transformed population density, 2) percentage of residents who completed up to junior high school education, 3) accessibility of hospitals without an emergency room, and 4) accessibility of EAS were found to be predictors of EAS demand in rural areas, whereas only the factor of percentage of people aged above 65 was found to predict EAS demand in urban areas. For EAS misuse, only the factor of percentage of low-income households was found to be a predictor in rural areas, whereas no predictor was found in the urban areas. CONCLUSIONS Results showed that the factors predicting EAS demand and misuse in rural areas were more complicated compared to urban areas and, therefore, formulating EAS policies for rural areas based on the results of urban studies may not be appropriate.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011379 Prognosis A prediction of the probable outcome of a disease based on a individual's condition and the usual course of the disease as seen in similar situations. Prognostic Factor,Prognostic Factors,Factor, Prognostic,Factors, Prognostic,Prognoses
D004632 Emergency Medical Services Services specifically designed, staffed, and equipped for the emergency care of patients. Emergency Care,Emergency Health Services,Emergicenters,Prehospital Emergency Care,Emergency Care, Prehospital,Emergency Services, Medical,Medical Services, Emergency,Services, Emergency Medical,Emergency Health Service,Emergency Medical Service,Emergency Service, Medical,Emergicenter,Health Service, Emergency,Health Services, Emergency,Medical Emergency Service,Medical Emergency Services,Medical Service, Emergency,Service, Emergency Health,Service, Emergency Medical,Service, Medical Emergency,Services, Emergency Health,Services, Medical Emergency
D006297 Health Services Accessibility The degree to which individuals are inhibited or facilitated in their ability to gain entry to and to receive care and services from the health care system. Factors influencing this ability include geographic, architectural, transportational, and financial considerations, among others. Access To Care, Health,Access to Care,Access to Contraception,Access to Health Care,Access to Health Services,Access to Medications,Access to Medicines,Access to Therapy,Access to Treatment,Accessibility of Health Services,Availability of Health Services,Contraception Access,Contraceptive Access,Medication Access,Accessibility, Health Services,Contraceptive Availability,Health Services Geographic Accessibility,Program Accessibility,Access to Cares,Access to Contraceptions,Access to Medication,Access to Medicine,Access to Therapies,Access to Treatments,Access, Contraception,Access, Contraceptive,Access, Medication,Accessibilities, Health Services,Accessibility, Program,Availability, Contraceptive,Care, Access to,Cares, Access to,Contraception, Access to,Contraceptive Accesses,Health Services Availability,Medication Accesses,Medication, Access to,Medicine, Access to,Medicines, Access to,Therapy, Access to,Treatment, Access to
D006300 Health Services Misuse Excessive, under or unnecessary utilization of health services by patients or physicians. Abuse of Health Services,Misuse of Health Services,Health Services Underuse,Health Services Underutilization,Misuse, Health Services,Underuse, Health Services,Health Services Abuse,Health Services Abuses,Health Services Misuses,Health Services Underuses,Health Services Underutilizations,Misuses, Health Services,Underuses, Health Services,Underutilization, Health Services,Underutilizations, Health Services
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000552 Ambulances A vehicle equipped for transporting patients in need of emergency care. Emergency Mobile Units,Mobile Emergency Units,Ambulance,Emergency Mobile Unit,Emergency Unit, Mobile,Emergency Units, Mobile,Mobile Emergency Unit,Mobile Unit, Emergency,Mobile Units, Emergency,Unit, Emergency Mobile,Unit, Mobile Emergency,Units, Emergency Mobile,Units, Mobile Emergency
D012424 Rural Population The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural. Rural Residence,Rural Communities,Rural Spatial Distribution,Communities, Rural,Community, Rural,Distribution, Rural Spatial,Distributions, Rural Spatial,Population, Rural,Populations, Rural,Residence, Rural,Rural Community,Rural Populations,Rural Residences,Rural Spatial Distributions
D013624 Taiwan Country in eastern Asia, islands bordering the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, South China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, north of the Philippines, off the southeastern coast of China. The capital is Taipei. The alternate country name is Republic of China. Formosa,Republic of China
D014505 Urban Population The inhabitants of a city or town, including metropolitan areas and suburban areas. Urban Residence,Urban Spatial Distribution,Distribution, Urban Spatial,Distributions, Urban Spatial,Population, Urban,Populations, Urban,Residence, Urban,Urban Populations,Urban Residences,Urban Spatial Distributions
D016014 Linear Models Statistical models in which the value of a parameter for a given value of a factor is assumed to be equal to a + bx, where a and b are constants. The models predict a linear regression. Linear Regression,Log-Linear Models,Models, Linear,Linear Model,Linear Regressions,Log Linear Models,Log-Linear Model,Model, Linear,Model, Log-Linear,Models, Log-Linear,Regression, Linear,Regressions, Linear

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