Workload due to patient profile change with the effect of COVİD-19': The example of Istanbul 112

WORKLOAD DUE TO CHANGE IN PATIENT PROFILE WITH THE EFFECT OF COVID-19: ISTANBUL 112 EXAMPLE As of the pandemic period, the patient profile in 112 ambulances has changed due to curfews, the inability to use private transportation methods and the closure of polyclinics. Hypotheses were developed assuming that this change could cause an increase or decrease in workload. In determining the change in the patient profile, "Inappropriate Ambulance Use Values" was accepted as a measurement tool. Using the Istanbul 112 Emergency Aid Ambulance Anatolian Side database sample, it was aimed to determine the effect of the changing patient profile on workload due to the effect of the pandemic. In this retrospective descriptive study, 112 ASOS (Emergency Health Automation System) forms were examined periodically by dividing the period between 2018-2022 as P. Ö. (Pre-Pandemic) - P. S. (During the Pandemic). Within the scope of this study, patients; Age, assurance, triage, assignment of teams inside and outside the region, command/field response times, team occupation times and case outcomes were compared periodically. The reflection of the patient profile change due to the effect of the pandemic on the workload was evaluated. Patients with green and yellow triage codes increased during the pandemic. As a result, it can be stated that during the pandemic, ambulance service was provided to patients who were less used in transportation techniques and less medical intervention was applied during the transfer to the hospital by ambulance. It can be stated that this situation shortened the case outcome time and caused an increase in the number of patients examined, despite the decrease in the time spent at the patient's bedside. It is thought that the time-related workload of ambulance teams increased, but the workload decreased in terms of medical intervention to patients. The increase in out-of-region and rural cases affected the workload.