Emergency Medical Services Calls for Service at Adult Detention Centers: A Descriptive Study

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Public Health
• Criminology

Background:

• Incarcerated populations experience higher rates of substance use, mental health issues, and chronic diseases.
• Detention facilities present unique challenges for emergency medical services (EMS) response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a descriptive analysis of EMS emergency (9-1-1) calls for service to detention facilities.
• To characterize the nature of EMS responses within these settings.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of ground EMS emergency calls to nine detention centers from 2002-2021.
• Exclusion of specific facilities and non-emergency calls; analysis using descriptive statistics and comparative tests.
• Institutional Review Board approval obtained.

Main Results:

• 0.25% of total EMS calls were to detention facilities, with 2,034 patients analyzed.
• Patients in detention were younger (40.2 vs 54.0 years) and calls had longer scene times (14:13 vs 12:04 minutes).
• Common complaints included medical, behavioral, cardiac, and trauma; 91.3% of patients were incarcerated individuals, and consent was documented in only 6.1% of cases.

Conclusions:

• EMS calls to detention facilities predominantly involve incarcerated individuals.
• Lack of documented consent for treatment and transport is a significant finding.
• Further research is required to address the healthcare needs and consent capabilities of this population.