Emergencies
Conditions
Brief summary
Each year, millions of Americans call 911 for time-sensitive issues that don't require Emergency Medical Services (EMS). In need of medical help, these callers may treat 911 as an entry point into the healthcare system, yet an ambulance to the emergency department can harm both their own long-term health and the health of others. In a field experiment in Washington, DC, the investigators randomly assign nurses directly into 911 calls in order to triage low-acuity calls. While other 911 reforms have denied callers access to alternative resources, this effort reforms 911 by offering appropriate care.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTriage nurse
Triage nurse joins 911 call
BEHAVIORALNo triage nurse
Triage nurse does not join 911 call (business as usual)
Sponsors
The Lab @ DC
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Low-acuity call
Exclusion criteria
* Incarcerated
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ambulance dispatch | During or immediately subsequent to call | Ambulance is dispatched in response to the 911 call |
| Ambulance transport | During or immediately subsequent to call | Caller is transported in dispatched ambulance |
| ED visit, 24 hours | 24 hours | Emergency department visit within 24 hours |
| ED visit, 6 months | 6 months | Emergency department visit with 6 months |
| Primary care visit, 24 hours | 24 hours | Primary care visit within 24 hours |
| Primary care visit, 6 months | 6 months | Primary care visit within 6 months |
| 911 use, 24 hours | 24 hours | Whether caller made subsequent calls to 911 within 24 hours |
| 911 use, 6 months | 6 months | Whether caller made subsequent calls to 911 within 6 months |
| Health expenditures | 6 months | Total dollars and log-transformed dollars of Medicaid health expenditures |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed