Older patients' perceptions of the Swedish ambulance service: A qualitative exploratory study

Background: As worldwide life expectancy increases, the Swedish Ambulance Service is likely to be affected by the demographic shift towards a larger proportion of older persons. An older population tends to increase the demand for ambulances, indicating a need to illuminate older patients' perspective. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore older patients' perceptions of the Swedish Ambulance Service. Methods: This interview study employed a descriptive qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach in accordance with Dahlgren and Fallsberg. Results: Three main descriptive categories emerged to describe the underlying conceptions in the interviews; A double-edged encounter, Trust is created by perceived competence, and Safety through accessibility in vulnerable situations. Conclusion: Older patients described trust in ambulance clinicians as a prerequisite for feeling safe enough to share their feelings and allow a bodily examination. However, they also criticized the care provided because they questioned the need for certain actions.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).