New Study Shows that Uber is the New Ambulance Likely Because of Costs

Is Uber the new ambulance? For some people, they have switched to an app to get to the hospital. If you have a medical emergency and need to get to the hospital quickly, what do you call? An ambulance or an Uber? If you choose to call Uber, you are not alone.

A recent study has shown that many people are calling for a ride from an Uber driver rather than dialing 911. The study showed that Uber reduced “per capita ambulance volume by at least seven percent“. One of the questions that the study raised was whether the people who called Uber even needed an ambulance in the first place. An ambulance with trained professionals and expensive medical equipment can cost thousands of dollars. In addition to being a whole lot cheaper, getting a ride to the hospital from Uber can allow the patient to choose which hospital they would like to be admitted to. An ambulance simply takes the patient directly to the hospital that is closest.

A representative from Uber said that the company is glad that they can be of help to people; however “in the event of any medical emergency, we always encourage people to call 911.” Getting a ride from someone in an emergency who is probably not equipped to help you is a risk you would be taking when hiring an Uber instead of calling an ambulance. Unsuspecting Uber drivers would probably agree with that advice.

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6 years ago
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