Lupa Michał, Chuchro Monika
Faculty of Space Technologies, AGH University of Krakow, 30-059, Krakow, Poland.
Department of Geoinformatics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Krakow, 30-059, Krakow, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 22;15(1):30836. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-14324-1.
This study analyses Emergency Medical Services (EMS) reaction times and call volumes in Małopolska, Poland, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2023). The main objective was to evaluate healthcare system strain under different phases of the pandemic and to identify temporal patterns affecting EMS performance. Using statistical analyses, we investigated correlations between EMS call volumes and reaction times across various temporal scales, including hourly, daily, monthly, and yearly patterns. Results showed significant increases in EMS reaction times during pandemic peaks, especially during the vaccination rollout phase, correlating strongly with increased call volumes. The highest reaction delays occurred in December, weekends, and evening hours. Despite high call volumes, reaction times improved in later pandemic stages, indicating effective adaptation of EMS strategies. Seasonal and daily cyclicality in call patterns suggests opportunities for optimized resource allocation. The study highlights the resilience and adaptability of EMS systems under crisis conditions and recommends dynamic allocation strategies, accurate demand forecasting, and improved crisis communication. These findings offer critical insights for enhancing future EMS crisis management strategies and operational preparedness.
本研究分析了波兰小波兰省在2019冠状病毒病大流行期间（2020 - 2023年）及之后的紧急医疗服务（EMS）响应时间和呼叫量。主要目的是评估大流行不同阶段的医疗系统压力，并确定影响EMS绩效的时间模式。通过统计分析，我们研究了EMS呼叫量与响应时间在不同时间尺度上的相关性，包括每小时、每日、每月和每年的模式。结果显示，在大流行高峰期，尤其是疫苗接种推广阶段，EMS响应时间显著增加，且与呼叫量的增加密切相关。最高的响应延迟出现在12月、周末和夜间。尽管呼叫量很高，但在大流行后期响应时间有所改善，这表明EMS策略得到了有效调整。呼叫模式的季节性和每日周期性为优化资源分配提供了机会。该研究强调了EMS系统在危机条件下的恢复力和适应性，并建议采用动态分配策略、准确的需求预测和改进的危机沟通。这些发现为加强未来的EMS危机管理策略和运营准备提供了关键见解。
