Abstract
Background and importance: Telephone calls are often patients' first healthcare service contact, outcomes associated with waiting times are unknown.
Objectives: Examine the association between waiting time to answer for a medical helpline and 1- and 30-day mortality.
Design, setting and participants: Registry-based cohort study using phone calls data (January 2014 to December 2018) to the Capital Region of Denmark's medical helpline. The service refers to hospital assessment/treatment, dispatches ambulances, or suggests self-care guidance.
Exposure: Waiting time was grouped into the following time intervals in accordance with political service targets for waiting time in the Capital Region: <30 s, 0:30-2:59, 3-9:59, and ≥10 min.
Outcome measures and analysis: The association between time intervals and 1- and 30-day mortality per call was calculated using logistic regression with strata defined by age and sex.
Main results: In total, 1 244 252 callers were included, phoning 3 956 243 times, and 78% of calls waited <10 min. Among callers, 30-day mortality was 1% (16 560 deaths). For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality increased with longer waiting time, particularly within the first minute: 9.6% for waiting time <30 s, 10.8% between 30 s and 1 minute and 9.1% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.1%, 12.9% and 11.1%, respectively. Additionally, among calls with a Charlson score of 2 or higher, longer waiting times were likewise associated with increased mortality. For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.6% for waiting time <30 s, 12.9% between 30 s and 1 minute and 11.2% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 12.7%, 14.1% and 12.6%, respectively. Fewer ambulances were dispatched with longer waiting times (4%/2%) with waiting times <30 s and >10 min.
Conclusion: Longer waiting times for telephone contact to a medical helpline were associated with increased 1- and 30-day mortality within the first minute, especially among elderly or more comorbid callers.
Objectives: Examine the association between waiting time to answer for a medical helpline and 1- and 30-day mortality.
Design, setting and participants: Registry-based cohort study using phone calls data (January 2014 to December 2018) to the Capital Region of Denmark's medical helpline. The service refers to hospital assessment/treatment, dispatches ambulances, or suggests self-care guidance.
Exposure: Waiting time was grouped into the following time intervals in accordance with political service targets for waiting time in the Capital Region: <30 s, 0:30-2:59, 3-9:59, and ≥10 min.
Outcome measures and analysis: The association between time intervals and 1- and 30-day mortality per call was calculated using logistic regression with strata defined by age and sex.
Main results: In total, 1 244 252 callers were included, phoning 3 956 243 times, and 78% of calls waited <10 min. Among callers, 30-day mortality was 1% (16 560 deaths). For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality increased with longer waiting time, particularly within the first minute: 9.6% for waiting time <30 s, 10.8% between 30 s and 1 minute and 9.1% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.1%, 12.9% and 11.1%, respectively. Additionally, among calls with a Charlson score of 2 or higher, longer waiting times were likewise associated with increased mortality. For calls by females aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 11.6% for waiting time <30 s, 12.9% between 30 s and 1 minute and 11.2% between 1 and 2 minutes. For calls by males aged 85-110 30-day mortality was 12.7%, 14.1% and 12.6%, respectively. Fewer ambulances were dispatched with longer waiting times (4%/2%) with waiting times <30 s and >10 min.
Conclusion: Longer waiting times for telephone contact to a medical helpline were associated with increased 1- and 30-day mortality within the first minute, especially among elderly or more comorbid callers.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | European Journal of Emergency Medicine |
Volume | 31 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 127-135 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISSN | 0969-9546 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2024 |
Bibliographical note
Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.Keywords
- Aged
- Cohort Studies
- Denmark
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Registries
- Telephone
- Triage
- Waiting Lists
- Telephone triage
- primary health care
- time-to-treatment
- call center
- time factors
- mortality
- Emergency Medical Services