Abstract
Background
Emergency medical services contribute to the vital role of providing healthcare to
an individual by delivering time-sensitive, episodic treatment to patients with acute
illnesses. Understanding which factors impact emergency medical services utilization
can help guide policies and allocate resources more effectively. Increasing primary
care access has often been touted to decrease unnecessary emergency care utilization.
This study seeks to determine if a relationship exists between access to primary care
and EMS utilization
Methods
Using data from the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, Area Health
Resources Files, and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, United States county-level
data was analyzed to determine if increased access to primary care (and insurance
coverage) was associated with decreased emergency medical services utilization.
Results
Higher primary care availability is associated with less emergency medical services
utilization only when insurance coverage in the community surpassed 90%.
Conclusion
Insurance coverage can play an important role in decreasing emergency medical services
utilization and may also impact the effect of increased PCP availability on EMS utilization
in a region.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 6,
2023
Received in revised form:
December 19,
2022
Received:
July 11,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Accepted ManuscriptIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
