Frequent callers to the emergency medical services: A mixed-methods study of call patterns, reasons for calling, and wellbeing

Emergency medical services handle acute and life-threatening medical situations. Despite their global availability, research on those who frequently call these services is sparse. The present study aims to examine call patterns, motivations for calling, and indicators of well-being among frequent callers to the emergency medical services by utilizing multiple data sources. The study was conducted in the Central Denmark Region, Denmark. During a four-month period (May to August 2023), we identified all individuals, who had made ≥5 calls to the emergency medical services within the previous six months (i.e. frequent callers). Following a new call, frequent callers aged ≥18 years were invited to complete a questionnaire, attend an interview, or both. In total, 413 frequent callers were identified, representing 2.3 % of all callers to the emergency medical services during the study period. The frequent callers accounted for 1803 calls during the four months, representing 7.1 % of all emergency calls. Seventeen frequent callers completed the questionnaire. They reported varying levels of psychological well-being, and that a major reason for calling was not being able to endure their symptoms or problems anymore. Thematic analysis of interviews with 12 frequent callers highlighted four main themes: 'everyone calls the emergency medical services for a reason', ''help' can take many forms', 'difficulty navigating the healthcare system', and 'unfulfilled expectations and disappointment with 'the system''. The findings indicate that frequent callers to the emergency medical services comprise a small but diverse group, accounting for many calls. A central theme across data sources was difficulty navigating the healthcare system.