SOME TRENDS IN THE DELIVERY OF AMBULANCE SERVICES

A composite description of present (1973) and planned emergency ambulance systems is provided based on information from 179 applicants to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for grants for regional emergency medical systems. The data indicate that only 11.1 percent of the ambulance services are now provided by funeral homes and 34.5 percent are provided by local government agencies. Local government agencies operate 28.9 percent of all emergency vehicles and volunteer agencies operate 19.2 percent. Most ambulance services are provided primarily by small agencies, with minimal coordination. A great deal of confusion surrounds telephone numbers for emergency services, but centralized systems are being initiated in a number of communities. Some obstacles remain to the installation of 911 emergency numbers across State or service boundaries. The advantages and disadvantages of a centralized command and control system of dispatching ambulances for several ambulance agencies are weighed and several configurations are proposed. Analysis of the time between dispatch of the ambulance and its arrival show a median of four minutes for urban areas and up to 25 minutes in rural areas. The 1973 level of ambulance attendant training shows that many areas depend on personnel with little or no training for providing initial emergency care. Training courses developed by the United States Department of Transportation for emergency medical technicians and dispatchers appear acceptable as reasonable goals for implementation within two years.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Available from the Rand Corp., 1700 Main St., Santa Monica, Calif. 90406, $3.00.
• Corporate Authors:

  RAND Corporation

  1776 Main Street, P.O. Box 2138
  Santa Monica, CA  United States  90407-2138

  Johnson (Robert Wood) Foundation

  Forrestal Center, P.O. Box 2316
  Princeton, NJ  United States  08540
• Authors:
  • Chaiken, J M
  • Gladstone, R J
• Publication Date: 1974-7

Media Info

• Pagination: 46 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Allied health personnel; Ambulances; Call boxes (Driver aid devices); Emergency medical services; Emergency vehicles; Health care; Health care services; Local government agencies; Medical services; Public health; Training; Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Local agencies
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00143376
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: R-1551-RWJF
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 17 1977 12:00AM