Healthcare at Optimal Care Level for Patients Who Needs Primary Care - Collaboration Between Care Providers From The Emergency Medical Services' Perspective

Background

The research has a caring science approach, which has the patient in focus, with the general aim to describe care that strengthens and supports health. Further, a health care science approach recognizes the patient's suffering as a motivation for care.

In this study a non-urgent patient is a patient with illness, injury or ill-health suitable for the health care received in PC. The PC is able to take care of problems that not urgent and unlikely to require admission. The problem should not need specialized service in an ED, such as facilities, urgent intervention, rapid and/or complex diagnostic and could equally be managed at the PC.

For increased survival, reduced risk of complications and ability to quickly return to a functional life, it is important that there is a coherent chain of care. The EMS with the Prehospital Emergency Nurses (PEN:s) is an important part of many treatment chains, fast tracks and pathways, for example for patients with stroke, heart attack, hip fracture and geriatric care.The care model the EMS currently follows, means that virtually all patients transported to ED regardless of medical need and seriousness, which is consistent with current medical guidelines. Studies shows that around 25 % of patients arriving to the ED should have been treated at another level of care for having the right care. There is also a connection between increased mortality and overloading in the ED.

The need for emergency care is large and tends to increase, particularly in the elderly population (≥ 65 years). For resources to be utilized effectively, the health care has to be given at the level of care that is most appropriate. This requires that different providers that all have a responsibility for the patients can think outside the box, based on the individual patient's need of care. In addition, assumes cooperation and coordination to enable organizational change, which can provide good care from the patient's perspective.