Keiko Ueno

Prolonged on-scene time (OST), defined as ≥ 30 min from the ambulance arrival at the scene to departure, is a major global problem in the emergency medical system (EMS). Assistant Professor Keiko Ueno conducted collaborative research with Hiroshima University, utilizing data from the ambulance transportation and request call records databases of the Higashihiroshima Fire Department over a period of seven years. They revealed that older age, female sex, fire accidents, natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, self-injuries, number of hospital inquiries ≥ 4, and the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with prolonged OSTs among ambulance users with minor diseases or injuries. We need to reconsider how to intervene with potentially modifiable factors, such as EMS personnel performance, the impact of the presence of allied services, hospital patient acceptance systems, and cooperation between general emergency and psychiatric hospitals to improve community EMS.

Ueno, K., Teramoto, C., Nishioka, D. et al. Factors associated with prolonged on-scene time in ambulance transportation among patients with minor diseases or injuries in Japan: a population-based observational study. BMC Emerg Med 24, 10 (2024).