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The financial impact of alcohol-related emergencies on a rural EMS system
1City of Ketchikan Fire Department, AK 99901, USA.
Hypothesis:
Alcohol is a major factor in ambulance responses in rural Alaska; alcohol-related emergencies significantly increase the expense of operating an advanced life support ambulance service.
Methods:
A prospective analysis was performed on emergency medical responses one year, ending September 30, 1997. Data were collected from medical records, police documents, and court records.
Analysis:
Each ambulance response was analyzed for the presence of alcohol. The departmental budget was reviewed to separate out fixed and variable costs. Between these analyses, a determination was made regarding the actual cost of all alcohol-related ambulance responses.
Results:
Six hundred eighty-one patients were included for study. Alcohol was a factor in one hundred ninety-one (28.0%) of these patients. The cost to the community for alcohol-related responses amounted to $81,503, representing 19.2% of the budget.
Conclusion:
The cost to respond to alcohol-related emergencies represents a significant fraction of Ketchikan's total emergency medical budget.