Table 3.
Percentage of Cardiology Participants (n = 47), Emergency Medicine Participants (n = 50), and Other Participants (n = 9) Providing Each Response to Items Related to Potential Improvements in Ambulance Services (N = 106).
| Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Neutral | Agree | Strongly Agree | p | ||
| More availability of ambulances | Cardiology | 2.1 | 4.3 | 8.5 | 36.2 | 48.9 | 0.19 |
| Emergency medicine | 4.0 | 0.0 | 26.0 | 32.0 | 38.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 33.3 | 11.1 | 44.4 | ||
| Total | 3.8 | 1.9 | 18.9 | 32.1 | 43.4 | ||
| Better training of ambulance staff | Cardiology | 2.1 | 0.0 | 10.6 | 27.7 | 59.6 | 0.12 |
| Emergency medicine | 4.0 | 0.0 | 8.0 | 26.0 | 62.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 22.2 | 55.6 | ||
| Total | 3.8 | 0.0 | 9.4 | 26.4 | 60.4 | ||
| EMS Use of 12 lead ECG and telemetry to ED | Cardiology | 2.1 | 0.0 | 4.3 | 27.7 | 66.0 | 0.19 |
| Emergency medicine | 4.0 | 0.0 | 10.0 | 12.0 | 74.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 22.2 | 11.1 | 55.6 | ||
| Total | 3.8 | 0.0 | 8.5 | 18.9 | 68.9 | ||
| EMS use of fibrinolytic therapy | Cardiology | 6.4 | 8.5 | 34.0 | 25.5 | 25.5 | 0.11 |
| Emergency medicine | 20.0 | 16.0 | 40.0 | 8.0 | 16.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 22.2 | 44.4 | 22.2 | 0.0 | ||
| Total | 13.2 | 13.2 | 37.7 | 17.0 | 18.9 | ||
| EMS triage of confirmed STEMI patients direct to PCI facilities | Cardiology | 4.3 | 0.0 | 2.1 | 23.4 | 70.2 | 0.67 |
| Emergency medicine | 4.0 | 2.0 | 12.0 | 20.0 | 62.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 22.2 | 55.6 | ||
| Total | 4.7 | .9 | 7.5 | 21.7 | 65.1 | ||
| Activation of cath lab by prehospital services | Cardiology | 6.4 | 2.1 | 17.0 | 17.0 | 57.4 | 0.99 |
| Emergency medicine | 6.0 | 4.0 | 14.0 | 20.0 | 56.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 11.1 | 66.7 | ||
| Total | 6.6 | 2.8 | 15.1 | 17.9 | 57.5 | ||
| STEMI patients bypassing the ED to cath lab directly | Cardiology | 2.1 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 25.5 | 55.3 | 0.24 |
| Emergency medicine | 12.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 26.0 | 44.0 | ||
| Other | 11.1 | 0.0 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 22.2 | ||
| Total | 7.5 | 7.5 | 11.3 | 26.4 | 47.2 | ||
| Punctuality (speed with which ambulances arrive) | Cardiology | 2.1 | 0.0 | 19.1 | 23.4 | 55.3 | 0.08 |
| Emergency medicine | 8.0 | 0.0 | 18.0 | 22.0 | 52.0 | ||
| Other | 0.0 | 11.1 | 22.2 | 33.3 | 33.3 | ||
| Total | 4.7 | .9 | 18.9 | 23.6 | 51.9 | ||
Notes: Table entries are percentages. p values are from chi-square tests of independence. Medians are presented in bold.