Where are you? The problem of location during emergencies

Elena Lucchese

No 439, Working Papers from University of Milano-Bicocca, Department of Economics

Abstract: Rapid response to an emergency call is crucial to its outcome, but little is known about the determinants of response time. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, it is shown that the time it takes to find the patient's location accounts for 30% of response time. The analysis compares the time required to cover each segment of the ambulance trip - from the hospital to the patient's location and then back to the hospital - according to whether the patient is at home or at some other location that responders can more easily locate. The magnitude of the effect does not appear to be affected by the distance travelled. It is suggested that introducing a technology that gives care providers precise information about a patient's location would substantially improve performance at a minimal cost.

Keywords: Ambulance; Emergency; Organizational Performance; Response Time. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D29 D90 I12 I18 R41 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37
Date: 2020-04, Revised 2020-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea and nep-ure
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