By Laura French
HERSHEY, Pa. — Penn State researchers are conducting a study seeking to understand patients’ social needs and identify resources for reducing unnecessary 911 calls and transports.
The team from the Penn State College of Medicine is inviting EMS providers who work primarily in 911 response to participate in a 5-7 minute online survey regarding their awareness of patients’ social needs, such as housing or food insecurity, and the resources they would utilize to address those needs. Survey respondents will have the option to enter a drawing to win a $50 Amazon gift card.
“Through this study, EMS providers have an opportunity to use their unique experiences and observations to help determine how the EMS profession addresses patient social needs in an effort to improve patient health overall,” researchers said in a press release.
Researchers plan to use data collected from the survey to inform the design of new training programs and resources to help EMS providers address patients’ social needs and reduce unnecessary 911 calls and transports. Study results will be shared widely after publication with EMS organizations, employers and the EMS community at large, researchers said.