title: Mobile phone use for contacting emergency services in life-threatening circumstances.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The potential health benefits of mobile phone use have not been widely studied, except for telemedicine-type applications.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study seeks to determine whether initial contact with emergency services via a mobile phone in life-threatening situations is associated with potential health benefits when compared to contact via a landline.
  
  
  METHODS
  A record-linkage study was carried out in which data from all emergency dispatches for immediately life-threatening events from a United Kingdom county ambulance service were linked to the Patient Admission System at two major local hospitals. Mortality (at the scene, at the emergency department [ED], and during hospitalization); transfer to the ED; admission (inpatient care, and intensive care unit); and length of stay were analyzed for calls classified as Code Red (immediately life-threatening) by initial exposure (mobile phone vs. landline), while controlling for potential confounding variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 354,199 ambulances dispatched to attend emergency incidents, 66% transported patients to the hospital while 2% stood down due to death at the scene. Mobile phone compared to landline reporting of emergencies resulted in significant reductions in the risk of death at the scene (odds ratio [OR] 0.77), but not for death in the ED or during inpatient admission. The risk of being transferred to the ED and subsequent inpatient admission were significantly lower with reporting from mobile phones compared to landline (OR 0.93 and OR 0.82, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, evidence of statistical association was demonstrated between the use of mobile phones to alert ambulance services in life-threatening situations and improved outcomes for patients.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Health Technology Assessment, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Olivia
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: Alastair
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: MacIntyre
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rowley
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Willett
mesh_terms: D040421:Cell Phone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D009026:Mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010360:Patient Transfer / Q000706:statistics & numerical data