Mass-gathering Events: The Role of Advanced Nurse Practitioners in Reducing Referrals to Local Health Care Agencies.

Unlabelled: Introduction: The introduction of advanced practitioner roles has challenged the traditional boundaries of health care. While studies have been undertaken to understand the role of physicians in respect of mass-gathering medicine, the role of advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs) has not been investigated. Problem Does the presence of an ANP reduce the referral rates of patients presenting for medical care at mass-gathering events to external health care resources?

Methods: A prospective observational study was undertaken to determine whether the presence of an ANP would reduce the patient referral rate to external health care services by first aiders and paramedics working within an event medical team.