title: Reassurance as a key outcome valued by emergency ambulance service users: a qualitative interview study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an increasing need to assess the performance of emergency ambulance services using measures other than the time taken for an ambulance to arrive on scene. In line with government policy, patients and carers can help to shape new measures of ambulance service performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the aspects of emergency ambulance service care valued by users.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative interview study.
  
  
  METHODS
  One of 11 ambulance services in England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two users and eight of their spouses (n = 30).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Users of the emergency ambulance service, experiencing different types of ambulance service response, valued similar aspects of their pre-hospital care. Users were often extremely anxious about their health, and the outcome they valued was reassurance provided by ambulance service staff that they were receiving appropriate advice, treatment and care. This sense of being reassured was enhanced by the professional behaviour of staff, which instilled confidence in their care; communication; a short wait for help; and continuity during transfers. A timely response was valued in terms of allaying anxiety quickly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability of the emergency ambulance service to allay the high levels of fear and anxiety felt by users is crucial to the delivery of a high quality service. Measures developed to assess and monitor the performance of emergency ambulance services should include the proportion of users reporting feeling reassured by the response they obtained.
authors.affiliation: Community and Health Research Unit, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
authors.forename: Fiona J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Togher
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: O'Cathain
authors.affiliation: Community and Health Research Unit, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
authors.forename: Viet-Hai
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Phung
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Janette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Community and Health Research Unit, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.|East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Lincolnshire Divisional Headquarters, Lincoln, UK.
authors.forename: Aloysius Niroshan
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Siriwardena
mesh_terms: D000552:Ambulances / Q000592:standards; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D003142:Communication; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians / Q000592:standards; D004739:England; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: communication; emergency medical services; patient experience; patient satisfaction; prehospital care