Medically unnecessary pediatric ambulance transports: a medical taxi service?

To characterize ambulance utilization in a pediatric population and pediatric emergency physicians' judgement of the medical need for ambulance transport.

A convenience sample of ambulance transports were studied prospectively during a 5-week period. Exclusion criteria included transfer from another medical facility, study physician not available, need for immediate resuscitation, or trauma team activation. A questionnaire completed by the physician assessed medical need for the ambulance based on chief complaint, general appearance, vital signs, and ambulance run sheet information. A separate questionnaire was administered to the parents regarding reasons for ambulance use and other available means of transportation. Caregivers were contacted by telephone 2-3 days later to determine the mode of transportation home and the clinical outcome.

Of 172 eligible patients, 92 (53%) were enrolled. Most (61%; 56/92) transports were considered medically unnecessary. Interestingly, 40% (37/92) of the subjects had no other means of transportation; 86% (32/37) of ambulance transports for this group were judged medically unnecessary. Overall, 86% (79/92) of families had not called their physician. There was no association between having spoken with the physician and medical need for an ambulance. Many (82%; 46/56) Medicaid transports were judged medically unnecessary Overall, follow-up was achieved for 91% (85/92) of the patients. No patient for whom transport was medically unnecessary had a repeat ED visit for the same complaint or required admission. Most patients (74%; 68/92) returned home without any assistance. Among the medically unnecessary transports, 52% (32/60) of the caregivers cited no other means of transportation, yet 34% (11/32) of these patients returned home by private car.

Most pediatric ambulance transports in this sample, which excluded patients requiring immediate resuscitation or trauma team care, were judged to be medically unnecessary. Caregivers often use an ambulance as a convenience or as the only means of transportation. An alternate, less resource-intensive transportation system may be more appropriate for this population.