Geographic analysis of ambulance availability in Arkansas.
In keeping with emergency medical services (EMS) industry standards, response time requirements of EMS units in Arkansas are temporally based and reflect traditionally accepted concepts of reasonable access to emergency care services. However, time-centric response standards may be unrealistic and may place ambulance staff and patients at risk, particularly during mass casualty events. In view of the availability of current technology to efficiently re-route EMS units on the basis of geographic realities, traditional 4-minute and 8-minute response time standards should be reevaluated and replaced by or added to standards that emphasize spatially based objectives.
Abbott
Rosa M
RM
College of Nursing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA. abbottrosa@uams.edu
D000552:Ambulances / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D001131:Arkansas; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005843:Geography; D006801:Humans; D054527:Mass Casualty Incidents; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011156:Population Density; D013997:Time Factors