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Health Care Services in Shopping Centers: A Routine Mass-Gathering Event

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2020

Mehmet Ali Ceyhan Open the ORCID record for Mehmet Ali Ceyhan [Opens in a new window]  and
Gültekin Günhan Demir
Mehmet Ali Ceyhan*
Affiliation:
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Health Sciences, Ankara City Hospital, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey
Gültekin Günhan Demir
Affiliation:
Department of Cardiology, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Turkey
*
Correspondence: Mehmet Ali Ceyhan University of Health Sciences Ankara City Hospital Department of Emergency Medicine 06800, Bilkent, Ankara, Turkey E-mail: maceyhan@hotmail.com.tr
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Abstract

Background:

Shopping centers (SCs) are social areas with a group of commercial establishments which attract customers of numerous people every day. However, analysis of urgent health conditions and provided health care in SCs has not been performed so far.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to perform a comparative analysis of clients visiting SCs and demographics, complaints, and health care of patients admitted to Emergency Medical Intervention Units (EMIU) located in grand SCs in Ankara, Turkey.

Methods:

Customer and health care records of nine grand SCs in Ankara from January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. Health care services in EMIUs of SCs were provided by employed medical staff. Data including demographic characteristics, complaints, treatment protocols, discharge, and referral to hospital of the patients were retrospectively analyzed from medical registration forms.

Results:

Medical records of nine grand SCs were analyzed. Number of customers could not be obtained in three SCs due to privacy issues and were not included in patient presentation rate (PPR) and transport-to-hospital rate (TTHR) calculation. Total number of customers in the remaining six SCs were 53,277,239. The total number of patients seeking medical care was 6,749. The number of patients seeking health care in six SCs with known number of customers was 4,498 and PPR ranged from 0.018 to 0.381 patients per 1,000 attendants. The median age of the recorded 4,065 patients (60.2%) was 28 (interquartile range [IQR]: 38-21), and 3,611 (53.5%) of the patients admitted to EMIUs were female. The number of patients treated in the SC was 4,634 (68.6%) and 189 patients (2.8%) were transferred-to-hospital by ambulance for further evaluation and treatment. Transportation to hospital was required in 125 patients who sought medical care in six SCs which provided total number of customers, and TTHR ranged from 0.000 to 0.005 patients per 1,000 attendants. No sudden cardiac death was seen. Medical conditions were the primary reasons for seeking health care. The most frequent causes of presentation were laceration and abrasions (639 patients, 9.4%).

Conclusion:

The PPR and TTHR in SCs are low. The most common causes of presentation are minor conditions and injuries. Majority of urgent medical conditions in SCs can be managed by health care providers in EMIUs.

Keywords

Emergency Medical Intervention UnitEmergency Medical Servicesmass gatheringshopping center
Type
Original Research
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 35 , Issue 6 , December 2020 , pp. 669 - 675
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine

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