Table 1 Explanatory variables used in the prediction modelling
Variable name | Reference category |
|---|---|
Age | 55–59 year olds (selected because it contained the mean age for the cases included in this study) |
Gender | Males |
Income status | The ‘above’ category |
Qualification | ALS paramedics (because they triaged the largest volume of cases) |
Pain level | Mild |
Time of day | Day shift |
Triage guideline groups | Given the outcome variable involved the presence or absence of ALS paramedic treatment, the category with the most similar paramedic treatment rate to all Victorian emergency ambulance cases (55.5%) was chosen to compare with the triage guideline groups – the urinary symptoms group (paramedic treatment rate of 55.2%) |