Clinical trial NCT04808219: Causes of Traffic Collisions of Ambulance Cars at the Prague Emergency Medical Services
Official title: Causes of Traffic Collisions of Ambulance Cars at the Prague Emergency Medical Services
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Conditions: Traffic Collision
Transport Accident
Keywords: traffic collision
safety
ambulances
emergency medical services
Lead sponsor: Emergency Medical Service, Prague
Sponsor class: OTHER_GOV
First posted: 2021-03-22
Enrollment: 100
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 21
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: CASE_ONLY
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: NON_PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Ambulance drivers of the Prague Emergency Medical Services with traffic collision.

Brief summary: The aim of the project is to increase the protection of patients, employees and the organization by means of data collection about traffic collisions of ambulance cars.

Detailed description: Published research studies have shown not only that approximately half of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers show signs of severe fatigue before traffic collision, but also that drowsy or tired EMS providers are significantly more often injured at work. Among the circumstances and factors contributing to the collisions, including environmental, road or equipment factors, the real causes of the collisions remain unclear, but might be investigated through interviews with participating drivers. The aim is to increase the protection of patients, employees and the organization by collect data in both qualitative and quantitative ways and to identify factors and measurable variables that might lead to strengthen healthy driving habits under the blue lights. The factors associated with ambulance accidents are not similar to those of the general driving population. The in-depth analysis of the whole problem aims not only to clarify the causes of collisions, but especially to create prevention steps so that such situations occur as little as possible.

The methodology will use the so-called mixed design - a combination of in-depth interviews with participating members of collisions (employees, or patient / relative), data from the road-scans and qualitative data including measurable variables.

A video-analysis of the collision will be performed. All data will be recorded anonymously - each participant in the accident will receive a special number for coding, under which they will appear. Data will be presented both in descriptive statistics and after statistical analysis (chi square test for independence and Fischer's exact test at the level of significance = 0.05).

In terms of qualitative data, in-depth interviews and their coding will be performed using grounded theory (based on Strauss and Corbin methodology). The aim is to gain the same view of events and their actions as the members of the group.

The sample of participants depends on collision rate, which was 50 incidents in the year 2020 (expecting approx. 100 cases in 2 years).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* ambulance driver involved in a traffic collision of ambulance car
* consent to participate in the study
* video recording of the collision exists and can be used

Exclusion Criteria:

* disagreement with participating in the study
* video recording of the collision cannot be obtained

Primary outcomes:
measure: Severity of the collision
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 2 year or until collection of 100 observations in total.
measure: Time frame of the collision
timeFrame: Through study completion, an average of 2 year or until collection of 100 observations in total.
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Praha
country: Czechia
facility: Prague Emergency Medical Services
Study officials:
affiliation: Prague Emergency Medical Services
name: David Peran, Dr.
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Prague Emergency Medical Services
name: Jaroslav Pekara, Ph.D.
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Chiu PW, Lin CH, Wu CL, Fang PH, Lu CH, Hsu HC, Chi CH. Ambulance traffic accidents in Taiwan. J Formos Med Assoc. 2018 Apr;117(4):283-291. doi: 10.1016/j.jfma.2018.01.014. Epub 2018 Feb 7.
citation: Tanaka K, De Lorenzo RA. Lights and Siren: A Risky Business? Ann Emerg Med. 2019 Jul;74(1):110-111. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.01.026. Epub 2019 Feb 21. No abstract available.
citation: Wolfberg DM. Red Lights and Siren: High risk, high liability, little reward. JEMS. 2017 Feb;42(2):18-9. No abstract available.
citation: Watanabe BL, Patterson GS, Kempema JM, Magallanes O, Brown LH. Is Use of Warning Lights and Sirens Associated With Increased Risk of Ambulance Crashes? A Contemporary Analysis Using National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) Data. Ann Emerg Med. 2019 Jul;74(1):101-109. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2018.09.032. Epub 2019 Jan 12.
citation: Murray B, Kue R. The Use of Emergency Lights and Sirens by Ambulances and Their Effect on Patient Outcomes and Public Safety: A Comprehensive Review of the Literature. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017 Apr;32(2):209-216. doi: 10.1017/S1049023X16001503. Epub 2017 Jan 30.