Non-transport emergency medical service missions - a retrospective study based on medical charts.

Background: In Finland, approximately 40% of emergency medical service (EMS) missions do not result in transport of the patient to a hospital by ambulance, and there is wide variability in the reasons underlying non-transport decisions. The aim of this study was to describe the context of these EMS non-transport missions.

Methods: The data were collected retrospectively between 3 September and 20 October 2014 by investigating non-transport EMS charts (n = 1154).