Evaluating the Usefulness of Medical Emergency Motorcycles in Emergency Services
Author Information
Author(s): Anders Rostrup Nakstad, Bjørn Bjelland, Mårten Sandberg
Primary Institution: Oslo University Hospital – Ullevål, Oslo, Norway
Hypothesis
Can medical emergency motorcycles reduce response times and costs in emergency medical services?
Conclusion
Using medical emergency motorcycles resulted in a small but statistically significant reduction in driving time and fewer unnecessary car ambulance missions.
Supporting Evidence
- The mean emergency driving time for the motorcycle was 6 minutes 24 seconds compared to 6 minutes 54 seconds for the car ambulance.
- 138 unnecessary car ambulance missions were avoided due to the use of the motorcycle.
- The hourly cost of running the motorcycle was €29 compared to €75 for a car ambulance.
- No accidents involving the motorcycle were reported during the study period.
Takeaway
This study looked at whether using motorcycles for emergency medical services can help get help to people faster and save money. It found that while they can be faster, the difference isn't huge.
Methodology
A prospective study was conducted analyzing 703 missions of medical emergency motorcycles over five months.
Potential Biases
The study relied on data from a single urban ambulance service, which may not be generalizable to other settings.
Limitations
The study could not dispatch both the motorcycle and car ambulance simultaneously from the same position, which may affect the comparison.
Participant Demographics
The mean age of patients evaluated was 51.6 years, with 56% being male.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.046
Statistical Significance
p = 0.046
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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