GENERAL-PURPOSE AMBULANCE TEAM AS THE MAIN RESOURCE OF THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SYSTEM

Significance. The main aspect of the emergency medical system is its resource provision. The specifics of the system functioning require a detailed analysis of the needs and capabilities of the regions of the Russian Federation for the system optimization. Purpose. To analyze performance of the general-purpose ambulance team in the Russian Federation for the period from 2010 to 2023. Material and methods. The research material was the data from the industry statistical observation form No. 40 “Report of the station (department), emergency medical hospital in the Russian Federation for 2010-2013”, as well as the industry statistical observation form No. 30 for the Russian Federation for 2014-2023. In study employed statistical and analytical research methods. The program “MSOffice Excel 2016” was used to process the received data. Results. The authors have analyzed the organization of key performance parameters of ambulance teams in the Russian Federation for the period from 2010 to 2023, with a focus on general-purpose teams. It is shown that in the Russian Federation there were 47800.0±6514.6 teams (shifts) annually (in daily terms – 11950.0±1628.7 teams), responding to about 45 million ambulance calls. In the structure of ambulance teams, 92.7% are general–purpose (25.3±4.5 staffed with physicians, 74.6±4.4 staffed with paramedics; - 18.9 and 80.1% in 2023, respectively). The dynamics show an increase in the number of general-purpose teams by 17.3%, as well as a decrease in the number of teams staffed with physicians (by 20.1%) and an increase in the number of teams staffed with paramedics (by 31.6%). Accordingly, the volume of care they provide is also changing. The average daily workload of a general-purpose team corresponds to 9.8± 1.5 ambulance calls per day. A marked reduction in the amount of work is observed across all types of ambulance teams. The overall figures show a decline of 19.3%. A decrease of 44.2% was registered in teams staffed with physicians. This was especially noticeable in pediatrics, where the volume of care provided to the child population decreased by 80.9%. Conclusion. During the study period, the number of general-purpose ambulance teams in the country increased by 17.3%, teams staffed with paramedics – by 31.6%, and teams staffed with physicians – decreased by 20.1%. A noticeable reduction in performance was registered across all types of ambulance teams, especially those providing medical care to children. The organization of emergency medical services in a Russian region should be based on the principles of rationality, universal accessibility and high quality of medical services, as stipulated by the Territorial Program of state guarantees of free medical care to the population. Scope of application. The results of this study can be used for informed management decision-making on work organization of the emergency medical service. They can also be useful in educational programs and training courses. Keywords: emergency medical care; ambulance team; general-purpose ambulance team.