Econometric estimation of deprivation cost functions for emergency medical services

Abstract

This research extends the application of Deprivation Cost Functions to Emergency Medical Services in the United States, with a specific focus on cardiac emergencies, which are clinical scenarios where rapid response is critical to patient survival and well-being. Key variables such as patient condition, elapsed time, and socioeconomic status are incorporated, along with methodological considerations for estimating deprivation costs in medical emergency settings. Discrete choice experiments are used to quantify how the disutility of waiting for care increases nonlinearly with time. The resulting deprivation cost functions provide planners and policymakers with a more nuanced decision-support tool that captures both the urgency of medical need and the human suffering associated with delayed intervention.