Effects of Emed System Model and Service Capability Level on Service Efficiency and Ambulance Utilization
Suebsak Nanthavanij, Suphalada Supavasuth, Pathomnon Chamchan · 1999
An emergency medical service (EMed) system is proposed as a means to provide timely onsite medical treatment and transportation to the nearest hospital for Bangkok residents. The EMed system consists of a network of 29 fire stations and 4l hospitals in Bangkok linked by the Central Ambulance Dispatcher (CAD). Two models of the EMed system and two levels of service capability are tested using computer simulation to evaluate their emergency medical service efficiency and ambulance utilization. It is found that the EMed system that provides on-site medical treatments based on the severity of emergency cases (i.e., Model I) results in longer average ambulance utilization per trip. Consequently, the average patient waiting time for medical service tends to increase. This lessens the average number of patients served within 20 minutes. However, the percent ambulance utilization is high because it includes the idle time of the ambulance at the pick-up site. The EMed Model II (that is designed to deliver all patients to the hospital after only necessary medical treatment are provided at the pick-up site) has superior performance. This model decreases the ambulance utilization time, patient service time, and waiting time; it also increases the percent of patients served within 20 minutes. However, the percent ambulance utilization is decreased. For both models,