Many emergency medical services (EMS) agencies have implemented alternative disposition programs for low-acuity complaints, including transportation to clinics. Our objectives were to describe pediatric primary care providers’ views on alternative EMS disposition programs. We conducted virtual focus groups with pediatric primary care providers. A hybrid inductive and deductive analytical strategy was used. Codes were grouped into themes by consensus. Participants identified the benefits of alternative dispositions, including continuity of care, higher quality care, and freeing up emergency resources. Participants’ concerns included undertriage, difficulty managing patients not previously known to a clinic, and inequitable implementation. Commonly identified logistical barriers included inadequate equipment, scheduling capacity, and coordinating triage. Participants agreed there could be significant benefits from including clinics in EMS disposition programs. Participants identified several logistical constraints and raised concerns about patient safety and equitable implementation. These perspectives should be considered when designing pediatric alternative EMS disposition programs.

中文翻译：

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儿科初级保健提供者对将儿童纳入替代紧急医疗服务处置计划的看法

许多紧急医疗服务 (EMS) 机构针对低严重度投诉实施了替代处置计划，包括运送到诊所。我们的目标是描述儿科初级保健提供者对替代 EMS 处置计划的看法。我们与儿科初级保健提供者进行了虚拟焦点小组讨论。使用了混合归纳和演绎分析策略。代码按照共识按主题分组。参与者确定了替代处置的好处，包括连续性护理、更高质量的护理以及释放紧急资源。参与者的担忧包括分类不足、管理诊所以前不了解的患者的困难以及不公平的实施。常见的后勤障碍包括设备不足、调度能力和协调分类。参与者一致认为，将诊所纳入 EMS 处置计划可能会带来巨大好处。参与者指出了一些后勤限制，并对患者安全和公平实施提出了担忧。在设计儿科替代 EMS 处置计划时应考虑这些观点。