The public's perception of prehospital emergency care in the County of Skane, southern Sweden

Introduction: The prehospital emergency care has had a rapid progress in Sweden in terms of technology, treatments and personnel education demands. In the County of Skane there is at least one specialized nurse in every ambulance. Possible misuses of the resources by the public have been acknowledged. Aim: To investigate the public's use, knowledge and expectations of the prehospital emergency care in Skane, southern Sweden. Method: A cross sectional descriptive survey, using a stratified sampling. Inclusion criteria were: 18 year or older and currently living in Skane. Results: Of 735 people who were asked 54.4% (n = 400) chose to participate in the study. 44.0% of the respondents had been transported with ambulance. 34.5% of the respondents believed that the lowest educated personnel responsible for the patient was the paramedic. The results show that the respondents trust the personnel's knowledge and work skills. Older informants expected faster treatment by a physician when arriving by ambulance to the hospital, regardless of medical condition. Conclusion: The public had confidence in the ambulance personnel's knowledge, ability to make assessment and give treatment despite not being updated on the current competence of the personnel. A positive experience of contact with the ambulance service was distinct. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.