Discrepancies in the Provision of Emergency Medical Services for Fall among the Elderly in Thailand

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the shortfall and make proposals for the development of emergency medical services for falls in elderly in Thailand. It was conducted as a documentary research with regard to the prevention and pre-hospital care. It was found that the emergency medical services for elderly emergency patients who have fallen and fallen in Thailand is consistent with European operations which focus on preventing emergency illnesses from falling by the elderly, and emergency medical services are also provided before they reach the hospital with a single telephone number notification system and uses service personnel including emergency medical dispatchers (EMDs) to receive reports, assess severity, and then order emergency operations to be assisted by first responders or emergency medical technicians or emergency nurses or emergency physicians or all as appropriate, and focus on the implementation of local organizations as well. As for the differences, it is found that in Thailand, it was found that the service model in Thailand uses the Scoop and Run format, but in the countries mentioned, the service was organized in the Stay and Stabilize format. In Thailand, there was no policy to provide separate emergency medical services for elderly people who have fallen. There were no emergency medicine personnel arrangements specifically for elderly people who have fallen, especially like abroad. In addition, there was a lack of a series of questions by emergency operations payers for the symptoms caused by emergency illnesses regarding the apparent fall of elderly people that could cause payers to perform emergency operations. Currently the EMD lacks important information to order support for elderly people suffering from emergency falls that can have severe consequences that can cause death or disability to the elderly. However, Thai services also have the hallmarks of being involved in the actions of volunteers and from foundations or private sectors that are not for profit. The relevant authorities should update to have a series of questions of emergency operations payers. In the guideline on best practices criteria and procedures for emergency patient sorting for emergency operations, payers can effectively direct the assistance toward elderly people with emergency falls and reduce the unnecessary death or disability of the elderly. Capacity of personnel in the emergency medical system should be increase by having knowledge and skills on caring for the elderly who have fall, and should adopt accessible technology. It can be linked to the existing database system such as the Thai Reefer program, the ITEMS program, in order to effectively help organizing emergency medical services for the elderly.