title: [Impact of Shahal (Cardiac Emergency Services) on daily life of subscribers].
abstract: SHAHAL (Cardiac Emergency Services) provides professional 24-hour mobile emergency medical service monitored by intensive care nurses via a central computerized operations unit. All subscribers carry a "cardiobeeper" for transtelephonic transmission of a 3-lead electrocardiogram, and an automatic intramuscular self-injector containing 300 mg lidocaine. In this retrospective study we assessed the impact of SHAHAL on subscribers' mental stress, self-confidence and ultimately, quality of life. Answers to a written questionnaire (n = 1034) and a personal interview (n = 55) were analyzed. It was shown that SHAHAL is effective in decreasing mental stress and improving self-confidence in the majority of subscribers. It was especially beneficial in women, the elderly, those of lower socioeconomic status, pessimists and chronic worriers, and the ill more than the healthy. Those whose functional capacities were very limited benefited less, but for them SHAHAL's function as a life-saving and rescue system is more valuable. Lastly, subscription to SHAHAL also improved the self-confidence of the subscriber's family.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Dept., Ichilov Hospital, Tel Aviv Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kinan
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vishlitzki
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nebenzahl
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Laniado
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaplinski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004631:Emergency Medical Service Communication Systems / Q000458:organization & administration; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D007557:Israel; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D008012:Lidocaine