Most were from Kaiser staff seeking routine transfers of patients . About a dozen, however, were patients for whom AMR called emergency ambulances, including a woman with possible internal bleeding. One caller refused an ambulance. A few other callers were deemed not to have serious medical problems and were sent back to Kaiser's appointment system or an advice nurse. At most other insurers' advice lines, callers with serious problems are told to hang up and call 911.
Many patients can and do.
But some may refuse to contact 911 or pass out first. Kaiser is rolling out the program slowly. In some areas, patients will be directly connected to Pathways with the push of a button on the telephone. In other states, only non-emergency situations, such as transferring patients from one hospital to another, will be handled by Pathways. In Colorado, the Pathways program initially increased ambulance use, Kaiser's Cusick says.