Emergency call utilization over a 10-years period: an observational study in Region Zealand, Denmark, 2013-2022

BACKGROUND: Improving prehospital emergency care requires a comprehensive understanding of the efficiency of emergency medical services and demand fluctuations. The medical emergency call is the primary contact between citizens and the emergency medical dispatch center, serving as the gateway to accessing emergency assistance. This study aimed to characterize the emergency call population and analyze the development of emergency call utilization in Region Zealand in Denmark during a 10-years period.

METHODS: This was an observational register-based study of administrative data from the emergency medical dispatch center in Region Zealand. Data was collected from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022. All unique emergency calls from residents to the emergency number "1-1-2" were included. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize the study population. Poisson regression models were used to calculate ratio estimates for the association between years and hospital catchment areas, using the incidence rate of emergency calls as outcome measure.

RESULTS: A total of 641,457 emergency calls were included. A significant increase in the total number of emergency calls was found, with an increase from 58,454 annual calls to 80,819 calls over the study period. The incidence rate per 1000 residents per year increased from 71.1 to 95.2, a 35% increase. The southern part of the region had significantly more emergency calls per 1000 residents per year during the study period compared to the eastern part of the region (IRR 1.70). Demographically, males comprised 52.3% of cases, and patients aged 65 and older represented 48.2% of calls. Emergency calls were "Emergency level A" in 45.5% and "Emergency level B" in 39.1%. In 22.3% of cases, the emergency call was categorized as "Unclear problem." The most frequent categories were "chest pain" (12.7%), "impaired consciousness" (9.6%), "breathing difficulties" (8.8%), "accidents" (7.9%), and "minor injuries" (7.6%).

CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a significant increase in emergency calls, both in absolute numbers and per 1000 residents per year, indicating growing demand for emergency care, along with a surge in activity at the region's dispatch center. Regional disparities underscores the potential necessity for tailored developmental approaches over time.