Characteristics of Responses from an Australian Emergency Medical Service that Resulted in Non-Conveyance: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Robbie King; Bill Lord; Belinda Flanagan; Florin Oprescu

doi:10.56068/EEGN4929

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Characteristics of Responses from an Australian Emergency Medical Service that Resulted in Non-Conveyance: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

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Characteristics of Responses from an Australian Emergency Medical Service that Resulted in Non-Conveyance: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Robbie King, Bill Lord, Belinda Flanagan and Florin Oprescu

International Journal of Paramedicine, Vol.15, pp.153-166

2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56068/EEGN4929

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Abstract

Ambulance

Emergency Medical Services

paramedicine

Non-Conveyance

Non-transport

EMS

Rates of non-conveyance (referred to as a patient refusal or non-transport in areas outside of Australia), defined as paramedic discharge of a patient in the community rather than transporting them to hospital, are increasing. These episodes of care require complex decision-making from paramedics to ensure patients’ needs are appropriately addressed in a timely manner. Knowledge of non-conveyance case characteristics may be useful to direct the focus of research that aims to inform and design effective, patient-centric models of ambulance healthcare delivery. A retrospective, observational cross-sectional study describing characteristics of non-conveyance cases occurring within an Australian ambulance service setting between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. Of 1,533,453 adults attended and assessed, n=193,970 (12.6%) were not conveyed to the hospital. Dispatch initially prioritized 43.7% of non-conveyed cases as requiring an emergency (lights and sirens) response. Older people, aged 65 years and above, accounted for 44% of all non-conveyed patients. Pain was the most frequently recorded diagnosis, and less than 1% of all patients not conveyed were recorded as being referred to an alternative form of healthcare service. This study provides insight into characteristics of ambulance cases in an Australian jurisdictional ambulance service setting which resulted in non-conveyance during the impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic. These findings can be used to focus future investigations that aim to understand how evolving models of ambulance healthcare delivery can safely meet the needs of patients requesting ambulance services and enhance operational efficiency.

Details

Title: Characteristics of Responses from an Australian Emergency Medical Service that Resulted in Non-Conveyance: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Robbie King - Australian Catholic University
Bill Lord - Monash University
Belinda Flanagan - University of Tasmania
Florin Oprescu - University of the Sunshine Coast
Publication details: International Journal of Paramedicine, Vol.15, pp.153-166
Publisher: National EMS Management Association
Date published: 2026
DOI: 10.56068/EEGN4929
ISSN: 2831-6967
Copyright note: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Grant note: This work was supported by the Australasian College of Paramedicine (ACP).
Organisation Unit: Healthy Ageing Research Cluster; Engage Research Lab; School of Health - Public Health
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991247285802621
Output Type: Journal article

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