Demographic Characteristics, Prehospital Time Intervals, and Regional Transfer Patterns of Geriatric Patients in Ankara 112 Emergency Medical Services: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
Abstract
Background: This The rapidly growing geriatric population places increasing demands on emergency medical services (EMS). Older adults require ambulance care more frequently due to chronic disease burden, functional decline, polypharmacy, and atypical clinical presentations. In Türkiye, comprehensive data focusing on geriatric prehospital care remain limited. This study aimed to evaluate demographic characteristics, prehospital time intervals, and regional transfer patterns of geriatric patients served by Ankara 112 EMS.
Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional descriptive study included patients aged ≥65 years who were transported from the scene to hospital by Ankara 112 EMS between January 1 and December 31, 2025. Inter-hospital transfers, non-transport cases, and records with missing data were excluded. Data were obtained from the Emergency Health Automation System and analyzed according to age group, gender, triage category, prehospital time intervals, and intra- or inter-regional transfer status.
Results: A total of 99,384 patients were included (mean age 77.9±8.1 years), and 56.3% were female. Medical conditions accounted for 82.7% of calls, and the most common triage category was yellow (59.1%). Median response time was 8.85 minutes and increased significantly with advancing age (p<0.001). On-scene intervention time was longer in older age groups (p<0.001). Inter-regional transfers constituted 38.0% of cases and were associated with higher red-triage rates, while on-scene times were
nearly identical between regions.
Conclusion: Ankara 112 EMS provides prehospital care to geriatric patients with performance indicators comparable to international standards. Consistent on-scene intervention times across regions suggest that clinical care quality is maintained regardless of transport distance at the population level overall.
Keywords
Geriatric patients, Emergency Medical Services, Prehospital care, Response time, Regional transfer
Supporting Institution
No supporting institution.
Ethical Statement
this study was approved by the Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee of the Ankara Provincial Health Directorate of the Ministry of Health
Thanks
There is no person, instution or company to acknowledgement.
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