This document summarizes two studies on health services at mass gatherings: 1. A case study of patient presentations from an outdoor music festival to onsite health providers, ambulance services, and hospitals. It found the most common issues were headaches, lacerations, and substance intoxication. Onsite care resulted in longer stays and potential avoidance of 15 hospital/ambulance transports. 2. A systematic literature review of the impact on health services from mass gatherings. It found minimal research focuses on impacts to ambulance and hospital services. More research is needed to better understand usage across events and collaboration between onsite and external health services.

1. Mr Jamie Ranse
TRENDS IN MASS GATHERING HEALTH

2. A mass gathering can be defined as an event where a
group of people come together for a common purpose
within a particular space or venue
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11. Mr Jamie Ranse, Mr Shane Lenson, Mr Toby Keene,
Mr Matt Luther, Dr Brandon Burke, A/Prof Alison
Hutton
Patient presentations to onsite health providers,
ambulance paramedics and hospital emergency
departments from a mass gathering: a case study

12. • Challenges exist in providing adequate health care
at a mass gathering.
• Minimising impact to the health service in the
surrounding community or region.
• Onsite care from single events and does not
consider the effect on prehospital or hospital
services.
Aim
• This research aims to enhance our understanding of
the health service requirements of an outdoor music
festival.
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13. results

14. results
Onsite first aid care
•The most frequent illness was headaches (n=94),
injury was superficial lacerations (n=13),
environmental was substance and/or alcohol
intoxication (n=12).
Onsite health professional care
•The most frequent illness was headaches (n=3),
injury was fractures (n=2), environmental was
substance and/or alcohol intoxication (n=12).

15. results
Ambulance transport
•The most frequent injury was fractures (n=2),
environmental was substance and/or alcohol
intoxication (n=4).
•One patient required prehospital endotracheal
intubation.
•Three patients required airway adjuncts.
Hospital services
•One patient required an ORIF.
•One patient required intubation and ventilator support
in the Intensive Care Unit.

16. discussion
• Insight into the health service usage from one
event.
• Presentation to the onsite health professionals
resulted in a longer length of stay in the onsite
medical facility.
• Possible hospital / ambulance avoidance of 15
patients.
• Multi-site research should be undertaken to
explore the health service usage from a variety of
mass gatherings.

17. Mr Jamie Ranse, Mr Shane Lenson, Mr Toby Keene,
Mr Matt Luther, Dr Brandon Burke, A/Prof Alison
Hutton
Patient presentations to onsite health providers,
ambulance paramedics and hospital emergency
departments from a mass gathering: a case study

18. Mr Jamie Ranse, A/Prof Alison Hutton, Mr Toby Keene,
Mr Shane Lenson, Mr Matt Luther, Dr Amy Johnson, Dr
Julia Crilly, Mr Matt Cannon, Ms Nicole Jones, Ms
Courtney Hayes, Dr Brandon Burke
Health service impact from mass gatherings:
A systematic literature review

19. • Develop an understanding of the impact on health
services from mass gatherings
aim

20. • This research used a systematic literature review
methodology
• Electronic databases were searched to find articles
related to the aim of the review
• Articles focused on mass gathering health, provision
of in-event health services, ambulance service
transportation, and hospital utilization
method

21. method
Table 1: Search terms
Table 2: Inclusion and exclusion criteria

22. results

23. results

24. discussion
• In-event health services
– Reporting PPR rather than raw patient numbers
– Single case studies and the characteristics of patient
presentations
– The number of health professionals, discipline area, clinical
skill level, and duration of the shift was scantly reported

25. discussion
• External health services
– Some insight into the impact on ambulance services
– Some insight into the impact on hospital services
– Not comparable across events

26. • There is minimal research focusing on the impact of
mass gatherings on health services, such as
ambulance services and hospitals
• More research and evaluation is required to gain a
better understanding of this health space
• More collaboration between in-event and external
health services
conclusion

27. Mr Jamie Ranse, A/Prof Alison Hutton, Mr Toby Keene,
Mr Shane Lenson, Mr Matt Luther, Dr Amy Johnson, Dr
Julia Crilly, Mr Matt Cannon, Ms Nicole Jones, Ms
Courtney Hayes, Dr Brandon Burke
Health service impact from mass gatherings:
A systematic literature review