The impact of media on surge capacity in emergency departments: a study on rabies vaccination uptake
Alpar Suleyman 1, Colak Figen Unal 2, Kaya Bulent 3, Yilmaz Sarper 4
1 https://ror.org/03dcvf827 Faculty of Medicine, Emergency Physician İstanbul Beykent University Istanbul Turkey
2 https://ror.org/05nz37n09 Faculty of Communication Sciences, Department of Communication Design and Management Anadolu University Eskisehir Turkey
3 https://ror.org/03k7bde87 Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology University of Health Sciences, Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar City Hospital Istanbul Turkey
4 https://ror.org/03k7bde87 Department of Emergency Medicine University of Health Sciences, Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar City Hospital Istanbul Turkey
Abstract
Objective This study aims to explore the influence of media coverage on rabies vaccination practices and emergency department (ED) visits in Turkey, a country characterized by a substantial volume of patient admissions to EDs. Additionally, the study examines the impact of media-driven public concern on ED surge capacity, highlighting the challenges emergency physicians face in managing sudden patient influxes.
Methods This retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted at a single center. To assess the influence of media on vaccination practices in EDs and its effect on ED surge capacity, the Causal Impact package and interrupted time-series analysis using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) modeling were employed.
Results A total of 27,293 rabies vaccinations were administered at the study center within one year, with distribution as follows: 37.3% for the first dose, 33.4% for the second dose, and 29.2% for the third dose. Following rabies-related news, there was an average increase in the daily number of administered doses. The applied model indicated variances of 41.8%, 39.4%, and 38.5% for the respective doses, corresponding to daily increases of 7.73, 10.25, and 9.07 vaccinations. In the absence of rabies news, the expected daily doses would have been approximately 29 ± 1.7, 27 ± 1.4, and 24 ± 1.4, respectively. Rabies-related news resulted in absolute effects of 11 ± 1.7, 9 ± 1.4, and 9 ± 1.4 vaccinations and relative effects of 38 ± 8%, 35 ± 7.3%, and 38 ± 8.5% for the first, second, and third doses, respectively.
Conclusion The presence of a rabies-related news story, coupled with an increase in rabies-related Google searches, was associated with a significant rise in rabies vaccinations administered in EDs. Media coverage of attention-captivating events can contribute to increased ED visits. Media plays a significant role in influencing ED utilization.
Clinical trial number Not applicable.
Keywords: Emergency departments; Media influence; Rabies; Surge capacity; Vaccination.
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