npj Health Systems· 2026Q2
Inequities in urban emergency medical services
- 0citations
- Q2SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in New York City show significant response time disparities and failures to meet industry standards in higher-risk areas, despite a mandate to treat all callers equally.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Analysis of 15,349,368 EMS response times in NYC (2010-2020) revealed significant disparities.
- Higher-risk areas experienced longer response times and failed to meet industry standards.
- A separate analysis of 1,363,382 response times (2020) investigated potential barriers contributing to these disparities.
- The study highlights the persistence of inequities within EMS operations despite stated equal treatment principles.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract In the United States, systems such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provide rapid aid and medical care during emergencies and crisis events. EMS operations purportedly treat all callers equally, noting that certain information, such as select demographics, remains veiled until on the scene. However, disparities still persist, highlighting the need for further research investigating whether and how pre-existing inequities affect EMS response efforts. Here, we investigated differences in response times in New York City through regression analyses to (1) examine statistical disparities and (2) discover potential barriers that may contribute to disparities identified. Using data from the Fire Department of New York City, we analyzed 15,349,368 EMS response times from 2010 to 2020 to examine disparity and 1,363,382 response times from 2020 to investigate potential barriers. Results revealed significant inconsistencies in response times and failure to meet industry standards in higher-risk areas. This study elucidates the need for addressing such inequities and advancing equitable emergency management practices.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. npj Health Systems, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Emergency Medical Services
Emergency Medical ServicesHealth Professions