Epidemiological Differences in Emergency Medical Service Utilization before and during the COVID-19 Epidemic in Slovenia: A Retrospective Observational Study

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted emergency medical service (EMS) utilization worldwide. This study aimed to assess changes in EMS outpatient visits in Slovenia before and during the epidemic, focusing on diagnostic trends, referral patterns, and system responsiveness. Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study using data from 5,650 patients who visited the emergency medical services of the Izola Health Centre between January 2019 and June 2021. The study compared patient volume, diagnoses, and referral outcomes during pre-epidemic and epidemic periods. Chi-square tests were used for statistical comparisons. Results: Emergency medical services visits slightly increased during the epidemic (2773 pre-epidemic vs. 2877 epidemic). Urgent referrals to secondary care rose significantly (376 vs. 575; χ2 = 120.142, p χ2 = 70.243, p = 0.058), while visits for repeat prescription requests (Z76.0) increased significantly (64 vs. 102; χ2 = 7.581, p = 0.007). Discussion and Conclusions: The results indicate that EMS outpatient clinics played a critical and adaptable role during the COVID-19 epidemic, serving both urgent and non-urgent needs. These insights underline the importance of flexible EMS integration within health systems to ensure resilience during future public health emergencies.