The Burden of Non-Protocolized Patient Transport Outside of Response Area on a Rural Emergency Medical Services System
Objectives Prehospital transport decisions depend on a combination of protocols, judgment, and patient acuity/preference. Non-protocolized out-of-area transport may result in unnecessary delays and resource strain. Methods We retrospectively reviewed one year of scene transports by a rural, hospital-based EMS system, analyzing transport rationale and comparing hospital admission and specialist consultation as surrogates for decision appropriateness. …