Effects of Advertising Upon Emergency Aid-Seeking Behavior.

摘要

Advertisements for and utilization of a centralized ambulance dispatching service in Atlanta, GA are reported on. Metropolitan Emergency Medical Services (MEMS) was created in 1976. Its impact on access to emergency services was assessed through both pre- and post-MEMS telephone surveys of metropolitan Atlanta residents. Residents were asked what they would do in emergencies of two sorts: the case of a neighbor knocked unconscious and a serious car accident in front of their home. The pre-MEMS survey revealed considerable differences by county of residence. For example, a proportionately higher number of residents of urban Fulton County preferred public hospital ambulance service over other modes of emergency service. A door-to-door Mems advertising campaign had little effect on public awareness of the service during its first 4 months of operation. No significant changes in responses were registered by county, education, or race of the respondents. Respondents were also queried as to their actual behavior in real emergencies. The primary avenues through which help was sought were the telephone operator, police and fire department.