Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah

COVID-19 Seroprevalence Test for IgG Antibody Levels Among Healthy Donors Across Different Pandemic Phases in Jeddah

Published on: June 24, 2025

Comparative Cost Analysis of Ambulance Utilization: Advanced Life Support (ALS) vs Basic Life Support (BLS) at King

Abdullah Alabdali^1,2,3, Mohammed Alharkan³

¹Emergency Medical Services Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Clinicoeconomics and Outcomes Research : CEOR

|March 23, 2026

Abstract

Purpose:

Unit-hour utilization (UHU) is the most common metric for evaluating the productivity of ambulances and crews for ambulance services. Calculating UHU is essential for maximizing profitability and evaluating the number of hours of ambulance utilization during a shift. This has not been examined previously at King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC). KAMC is a major tertiary-care medical center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with dedicated ALS (Advanced Life Support) and BLS (Basic Life Support) ambulance units. This study aimed to determine the cost of operating the emergency calls (advanced life support [ALS]) unit and non-emergency calls (basic life support [BLS]) unit and compare the costs of emergency calls (ALS) and non-emergency calls (BLS). The study used a standardized institutional checklist that itemizes expenditures across logistics, equipment, maintenance, salary, pharmacy, and fuel cost components.

Methods:

This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained from King Abdullah International Medical Research Center. The study examined emergency and non-emergency calls for a period of 12 months. This study was based on a checklist assessing various expenditures to calculate the cost of ambulance utilization at KAMC in 2022.

Results:

The total average ambulance utilization cost per year for ALS was 4,806,245.7 SR, and the average ambulance utilization cost per hour was 548.65 SR; these costs were to operate the ALS crew for 24 hours, seven days a week. Conversely, the total average ambulance utilization cost per year for BLS was 3,934,156.92 SR, and the average ambulance utilization cost per hour was 449.10 SR. The main expenses concerned salaries and overhead costs for ALS and BLS.

Conclusion:

This study provides insights into the cost of ambulance utilization between ALS and BLS. The higher cost of ALS calls may be attributed to the higher level of training, equipment, and staffing required.

Keywords:

ambulance ambulance utilization and healthcare cost economics

Related Concept Videos

SBAR II: Application of SBAR

SBAR II: Application of SBAR

SBAR is an effective communication tool used by healthcare professionals to communicate patient information accurately. SBAR stands for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. For a better understanding, an example is given below.
SBAR Report from a Nurse to a Health Care Provider
S: "Hello, Dr. Smith. This is Jane, RN, from the Med Surg unit. I am calling to tell you about Ms. White in Room 210, who is experiencing increased pain and redness at her incision site. Her recent...

Blood Studies I: ABG and VBG

Blood Studies I: ABG and VBG

Blood studies are critical in the medical field, enabling healthcare professionals to assess a patient's health status accurately. This page will focus on two significant blood studies: Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) and Venous Blood Gas (VBG).
Arterial Blood Gas (ABG)
Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) studies are crucial for assessing the lungs' ability to supply oxygen and remove carbon dioxide, reflecting the patient's ventilation status. They also help understand the kidneys' capacity to reabsorb or...

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and Cox...

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation I: Adult

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation I: Adult

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, is a life-saving emergency procedure performed when a person's heart has stopped beating or they are no longer breathing. The foundation of CPR is Basic Life Support (BLS), which focuses on the early recognition of cardiac arrest, the immediate start of high-quality chest compressions, and the timely use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).Assessing Responsiveness and Checking the Carotid PulseWhen approaching an unresponsive person, first ensure...

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation II: ACLS Airway Management

Airway management is a key skill in emergency and critical care settings, as maintaining a clear airway is essential for adequate oxygenation and ventilation.Head Tilt-Chin Lift TechniqueThe head tilt-chin lift maneuver is an essential technique primarily used in patients without suspected cervical spine injuries. To perform this maneuver, one hand is placed on the patient’s forehead, and gentle pressure is applied backward to tilt the head. The fingertips of the other hand are positioned under...

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation III: AED Use

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation III: AED Use

Introduction to AEDAn Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable medical device that analyzes the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, leading to a loss of blood flow to the brain and other vital organs. In such emergencies, time is of the essence, and using an AED, combined with Cardiopulmonary...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Public Recognition of Emergencies and Appropriate Ambulance Use in Riyadh: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland)·2025

Can Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Shorten the Time to Stroke Team Activation, Computed Tomography (CT), and the Time to Receiving Antithrombotic Therapy? A Prospective Cohort Study.

Prehospital and disaster medicine·2020

See all related articles