Factors Influencing Patient Presentation and Transfer to Hospital Rates During Mass-Gathering Stadium Events: A...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Event Management

Background:

• Mass-gathering events (MGEs) in stadiums and arenas pose distinct healthcare delivery challenges compared to other MGEs.
• Understanding factors influencing patient presentations to in-event services, ambulance services, and emergency departments (EDs) is critical for these venues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review describing factors influencing patient presentations and hospital transfers from stadium and arena MGEs.
• To identify key characteristics of events, venues, and health support systems impacting healthcare utilization.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, incorporating Arksey and O'Malley and JBI methodologies.
• Searched CINAHL, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases for studies on mass gatherings, stadiums/arenas, and in-event health services.
• Focused on spectators seeking in-event health services within stadium/arena MGE contexts.

Main Results:

• Twenty-two articles were reviewed, predominantly on sporting events (81.8%) and music concerts (13.6%).
• Patient presentation rates (PPR) ranged from 1-24 per 10,000 spectators (median 3.8).
• Transfer to hospital rates (TTHR) ranged from 0-4 per 10,000 spectators (median 0.35), influenced by event, venue, and health support factors.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare delivery at MGEs is complex, necessitating uniform measurement and further research.
• Enhanced predictive accuracy and improved healthcare services require consideration of specific stadium/arena event characteristics.
• The study expands MGE domains to include venue-specific factors impacting patient presentation and transfer rates.