Nearly one in five Americans lives in an area designated as rural by the US Census Bureau. With rural populations often being older and at a greater risk for a variety of health conditions, having access to high quality emergency medical care is essential for these regions. A key component of the emergency medical system is care provided prior to arrival to the hospital by EMS.
This literature review explores the existing body of literature on the topic of disparities in the emergency medical care provided by EMS in the rural United States with urban areas of the United States. The review identified 14 pieces of literature which fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the review. Response and transport times, destination choice, trauma center access, and education accessibility were all identified as areas for improvement in rural EMS systems, as well as areas for further study on the topic. |
