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Abstract

Background: The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system is a network of coordinated medical service providers and resources that respond to medical emergencies. The Thai government implemented a national plan aimed to develop of the EMS services system. To our knowledge, there was little or no previous research about the factors associated with services use. The study aimed to explore the factors associated with using EMS services in Chiang Mai province, Thailand.

Method: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Chiang Mai province, Thailand. The first step was the selection of covariates associated with the using EMS/ ambulance services using simple logistic regression. The final step of model selection was confirmation of the factors’ association with each outcome using multivariable logistic regression.

Results: The study population consisted of 579 individuals. Nearly half of ED users (46.45%, n = 269) arrived at emergency departments (EDs) by EMS transport or ambulance, while 53.36% (n = 309) used other means of transportation. The mean age of EMS-users was 43.23 (15.89) years, and 43.63 (16.78) years for non-users. Variables associated with using EMS services included educational level, level of district urbanization, patient symptoms, familiarity with the Thai emergency telephone number (1669), and ambulance service fees.

Conclusion: These results imply that EMS utilization has a multifaceted nature which require addressing various determinants to optimize access and enhance patient awareness during emergencies. Improving patient access and awareness can ultimately lead to more efficient emergency response and improved healthcare outcomes.

Keywords: Emergency Medical System, Ambulance service, Medical emergency, Thailand

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