Ethnicity and prehospital emergency care provided by ambulance services

Prehospital ambulance care is becoming more important as an increasingly complex health system seeks to prevent avoidable admissions to hospital. Inequalities in prehospital care for ethnic minority groups are underpinned by problems of cultural awareness in professionals; language and communication difficulties; and a limited understanding of how the healthcare system operates for some minority groups. These inequalities in the face of increasing diversity have elicited a range of legislative and policy responses promoting equality. Ambulance services can also employ a number of practical measures to improve prehospital care for minority ethnic patients, including the collection of patient ethnicity data; targeted interventions; improved cultural competency; and better interpreting services. Challenges in delivering these strategies still exist and providers should strive to embed and improve measures to meet the needs of diverse communities.

[1]  A. Booth,et al.  Health promotion interventions for increasing stroke awareness in ethnic minorities: a systematic review of the literature , 2014, BMC Public Health.

[2]  A. O’Cathain,et al.  Impact of the urgent care telephone service NHS 111 pilot sites: a controlled before and after study , 2013, BMJ Open.

[3]  C. McKevitt,et al.  Delay in Presentation After an Acute Stroke in a Multiethnic Population in South London: The South London Stroke Register , 2012, Journal of the American Heart Association.

[4]  Shin-Ping Tu,et al.  Barriers and Facilitators to Using 9-1-1 and Emergency Medical Services in a Limited English Proficiency Chinese Community , 2012, Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health.

[5]  M. Habiba,et al.  Characteristics of general practices associated with emergency admission rates to hospital: a cross-sectional study , 2011, Emergency Medicine Journal.

[6]  R. Barn,et al.  Ethnic Monitoring in Healthcare Services in the UK as a mechanism to address Health Disparities: A Narrative Review , 2011 .

[7]  J. Mens-Verhulst,et al.  SOCIO-CULTURAL INEQUITIES IN HEALTH RESEARCH : WHAT DOES THE INTERSECTIONALITY FRAMEWORK OFFER ? , 2011 .

[8]  R. Bhopal,et al.  How can health promotion interventions be adapted for minority ethnic communities? Five principles for guiding the development of behavioural interventions. , 2010, Health promotion international.

[9]  M. Brainin,et al.  Stroke Education: Discrepancies among Factors Influencing Prehospital Delay and Stroke Knowledge , 2010, International journal of stroke : official journal of the International Stroke Society.

[10]  L. Lisabeth,et al.  The Role of Ethnicity, Sex, and Language on Delay to Hospital Arrival for Acute Ischemic Stroke , 2010, Stroke.

[11]  N. Freemantle,et al.  Access to interpreting services in England: secondary analysis of national data , 2009, BMC public health.

[12]  Mary Catherine Beach,et al.  Patient centeredness, cultural competence and healthcare quality. , 2008, Journal of the National Medical Association.

[13]  L. Dees.  Culturally Competent Care in the Emergency Medical Services , 2008 .

[14]  Mark Johnson.  Making difference count: Ethnic monitoring in health (and social care) , 2008 .

[15]  S. Salway.  Long-Term Ill Health, Poverty and Ethnicity , 2007 .

[16]  Jos Dekker,et al.  Potential barriers to the use of health services among ethnic minorities: a review. , 2006, Family practice.

[17]  K. Dracup,et al.  Factors associated with prolonged prehospital delay of African Americans with acute myocardial infarction. , 2006, American journal of critical care : an official publication, American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

[18]  A. Mügge,et al.  Hospital-wide first-responder automated external defibrillator programme: 1 year experience. , 2005, Resuscitation.

[19]  Joseph R Betancourt,et al.  Cultural competence and health care disparities: key perspectives and trends. , 2005, Health affairs.

[20]  A. Szczepura.  Access to health care for ethnic minority populations , 2005, Postgraduate Medical Journal.

[21]  Irena Papadopoulos,et al.  Promoting cultural competence in health care through a research based intervention in the UK. , 2004 .

[22]  Jonathan E Fielding,et al.  Culturally competent healthcare systems. A systematic review. , 2003, American journal of preventive medicine.

[23]  L. Phillips,et al.  Diabetes in Urban African Americans. V. Use of Discussion Groups to Identify Barriers to Dietary Therapy Among Low-Income Individuals With Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus , 1996, The Diabetes educator.

[24]  J. E. Jameson.  Inverse care law. , 1971, Lancet.