Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center
Charlotte, North Carolina, 28203, United States
Location status: Recruiting
Recruiting
NCT Number: NCT07107737
Physician Engagement in EMS Transport Refusal Rates
The primary goal of this study is to find out if patients who speak with an EMS physician over the phone are less likely to refuse care compare to patients who do not speak with an EMS physician.
Recruiting
Interested in participating?
Request InfoKey information
Conditions
Age range
18 year and older
Sex eligibility
All sexes
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Not applicable
Primary location
About this study
This study aims to assess the impact of direct physician communication on patients' decisions to refuse EMS transport. The research approach is designed to measure the influence of physician interaction on patient transport decisions in a prospective model. By conducting this research, the study team hopes to provide evidence-based recommendations for EMS protocols regarding patient engagement and refusal management.
Who can participate
Healthy volunteers accepted: No
Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.
Inclusion criteria
- Adult patients ≥18 years old in care of Mecklenburg EMS (MEDIC) on an emergency basis (911 call) who wish to refuse transportation to the hospital in whom MEDIC has, via existing processes and decision-making, engaged online medical control EMS Physicians for further guidance
Exclusion criteria
- Patients <18 years old.
- Patient refuses to speak with online medical control EMS Physicians. MEDIC or patient requests to have primary care physician.
- Lack of clinical capacity.
- Incarcerated population.
Treatment and study plan
Physician Consultation
BehavioralEvery other month will be randomized to either Physician Consultation or Standard of Care. During the months designated for Physician Consultation, direct communication between the patient and a designated physician by phone will be implemented when a patient refuses transport in cases where the EMS clinician feels that physician consultation is warranted for further guidance. The physician will attempt to address patient concerns and provide additional medical advice.
Standard of Care
BehavioralEvery other month will be randomized to either Physician Consultation or Standard of Care. During the months designated for Standard of Care, physician intervention will not be provided. For safety reasons, if physicians or EMS MEDIC clinicians feel that speaking with the patient is important to provide additional clinical benefit, they may do so without hesitation and can override the designated intervention month.
Primary outcomes
-
Number of Patients Transported
Time frame: Day 1
Number of patients who agreed to be transported by EMS
Secondary outcomes
-
Number of Patients Admitted to Hospital
Time frame: Day 1
Number of patients admitted to hospital after being transported by EMS
-
Number of Patients Discharged from Emergency Department
Time frame: Day 1
Number of patients discharged from Emergency Department after being transported by EMS
-
Duration of EMS Interaction
Time frame: Day 1
Length of time from EMS arrival to the end of the patient interaction in minutes and seconds
-
Number of EMS Same-Day Return
Time frame: Hour 24 Post Initial Call
Number of times EMS is called again to attend to a patient who earlier refused transport
Study contacts
Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.
Sponsors and collaborators
Lead sponsor
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Other
Registry information
Official study title
The Role of Direct Physician Engagement in EMS Transport Refusal Rates: A Prospective Study
Important dates
- Study start
- 2026
- Primary completion
- 2026
- Study completion
- 2026
- First posted
- Aug 6, 2025
- Registry last updated
- Jul 1, 2026
OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.
View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.