Short-Term Outcomes and Patient Perceptions after Paramedic Non-Transport during the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Published in: Prehospital emergency care Vol. 28; no. 2; p. 418
• Main Authors: Bosson, Nichole, Toy, Jake, Chang, Allen, Haase, David, Kipust, Adam, Korotzer, Liana, Warren, Jonathan, Kim, Yun Son, Kazan, Clayton, Gausche-Hill, Marianne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 2024
• Subjects: Adult; COVID-19; Emergency Medical Services; Female; Humans; Male; Pandemics; Paramedics; Prospective Studies
• ISSN: 1545-0066
• DOI: 10.1080/10903127.2023.2205512

EMS frequently encounter patients who decline transport, yet there are little data to inform the safety of patient and/or paramedic-initiated assess, treat, and refer (ATR) protocols. We determined patient decision-making and short-term outcomes after non-transport by EMS during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a prospective, observational study of a random sample of patients evaluated and not transported by EMS from August 2020 to March 2021. From the EMS database, we randomly selected a daily sample of adult patients with disposition of ATR. We excluded patients dispositioned against medical advice (AMA) and those in police custody. Investigators contacted patients by phone to administer a standardized survey regarding decision-making, symptom progression, follow-up care, and satisfaction with non-transport decision. We also determined the proportion of patients who re-contacted 9-1-1 within 72 h, and unexpected deaths within 72 h using coroner data. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Of 4613 non-transported patients, 3330 (72%) patients for whom the disposition was ATR were included. Patients were 46% male with a median age of 49 (inter-quartile range (IQR) 31-67). Median vital signs measurements fell within the normal range. Investigators successfully contacted 584/3330 patients (18%). The most common reason for failure was lack of accurate phone number. The most common reasons patients reported for not going to the ED on initial encounter were: felt reassured after the paramedic assessment (151/584, 26%), medical complaint resolved (113/584, 19%), paramedic suggested transport was not required (73/584, 13%), concern for COVID-19 exposure (57/584, 10%), and initial concern was not medical (46/584, 8%). Ninety-five percent (552/584) were satisfied with the non-transport decision and 49% (284/584) had sought follow-up care. The majority (501/584, 86%) reported equal, improved, or resolved symptoms, while 80 patients (13%) reported worse symptoms, of whom (64/80, 80%) remained satisfied with the non-transport decision. Overall, there were 154 of 3330 (4.6%) 9-1-1 recontacts within 72 h. Based on coroner data, three unexpected deaths (0.09%) occurred within 72 h of the initial EMS calls. Paramedic disposition by ATR protocols resulted in a low rate of 9-1-1 recontact. Unexpected deaths were extremely rare. Patient satisfaction with the non-transport decision was high.