Emergency Medical Services Market

Market Overview

The global emergency medical services market size was valued at USD 48.394 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 89.77 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 7.11% during the forecast period (2023–2031). Factors such as growing instances of road accidents, chronic disorders and technological advancements in emergency medical services, significantly drives the emergency medical services market demand by 2031.

Emergency medical services, usually called ambulance or paramedic services, provide severe illnesses and injuries with immediate pre-hospital stabilization and transportation to appropriate care. Emergencies typically occur in cardiac arrests, road accidents, and others. Emergency medical services examples include acute medical care, transportation of patients, and ambulatory services. The importance of emergency medical services may be shown because they involve providing patients with immediate care. It provides medical services to patients with medical, obstetric, and surgical emergencies, traumas, infections, heart attacks, strokes, asthma, and acute pregnancy difficulties.

Market Dynamics

Global Emergency Medical Services Market Drivers

Growing Instances of Road Accidents and Chronic Disorders

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel 2020, 1.35 million people die on the roads yearly, or 3,700 people die on average daily. These numbers clearly demand emergency medical services to save the victims of road accidents, which drives the market growth of EMS. Emergency Medical Technicians at public health facilities on emergency skills in saving victims of road accidents. In addition, for other chronic disorders such as heart failure is concerned, the ideal time for a heart attack patient to reach hospitals is 30 minutes. A heart attack sufferer must wait 400 minutes to get to the hospital, according to a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research, and the situation is worse in areas with hills, rocky terrain, and uneven roads. Such situations increasingly demand an effective EMS to save patients' lives, boosting the market growth.

Technological Advancements in Emergency Medical Services

The delivery of EMS has improved over time as a result of developments in the EMS. For instance, Automatic Crash Notification (ACN) technology alerts emergency responders when a car crash occurs. In addition, many devices are being used for EMS that helps in providing instant, audible warnings to ambulance drivers if their driving becomes unsafe. For instance, Jersey City Medical Center uses LUCAS devices. The LUCAS Chest Compression System provides standardized, effective, and uninterrupted chest compressions, allowing rescuers to focus on other life-saving tasks. It also will enable rescuers to be seated in the back of the ambulance during transport to the hospital, providing for the safety of crews.

Similarly, Fleet Eyes is a real-time web-based system that allows the tracking of EMS vehicle locations. The system displays vehicle position, speed, direction of travel, and status. Fleet Eyes also draws data from a computer-aided dispatch system and shortens response time, and the system can replay the entire fleet's activity. Such EMS technologies being used for patients are propelling the emergency medical services market growth.

Global Emergency Medical Services Market Restraint

Stringent Government Regulations

Regulatory oversight of EMS occurs primarily at the state level based on the provision laid out in the EMS Systems Act of 1973. Despite this fact, several regulations exist at different government levels that help address the needs of the overall system. International operations, such as fixed-wing aircraft EMS, must be aware of and in compliance with various international laws and regulations for EMS. Hence, regulatory compliance is yet another factor restraining the market growth of EMS. Manufacturers of EMS vehicles are mandated to cater to the norms and standards prescribed by national traffic authorities and the international acts governing motor vehicle safety. These stringent regulations force manufacturers to keep the pricing structure of EMS vehicles at a high market level.

Global Emergency Medical Services Market Opportunities

Collaborations of Major Players with Small Players

Emerging markets are anticipated to offer potential growth opportunities for global players operating in the EMS market due to technological advancements in EMS, the growing elderly population that requires emergency services, and government initiatives in undertaking research studies focused on EMS. Players in the EMS market compete to provide superior quality and well-regulated patient services. In addition, companies are expanding their business in the EMS market. For instance, in April 2019, Acadian Ambulance Service opened a service station in Las Vegas.

Furthermore, many major players in the market are adopting strategies such as mergers and acquisitions to expand their product portfolio by launching new products and collaborating with small players in the market. For instance, In July 2020, Sarnova acquired and simultaneously combined Digitech and the R1 RCM Inc. ("R1") EMS business (formerly ADPI/Intermedix) in partnership with Pamlico Capital, to create a leading provider of revenue cycle management (RCM) solutions for EMS professionals. In addition, Smiths Medical Inc. and Sommetrics signed a distribution agreement in September 2017 to make the company's aerFree Airway Management System available in the US EMS products market.

Regional Analysis

Americas Dominates the Global Market

By region, the global emergency medical services market share is divided into the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.

Americas is the most significant shareholder in the market and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.60% during the forecast period. The largest market share of the Americas can be attributed to the high prominence of cardiovascular disease, an increased number of accidents, well-developed healthcare and hospital sector, and a well-established medical emergency service in the region. According to the CDC survey, in 2017, there were about 138.97 million visits to the medical emergency department, of which 14.5% of patients arrived by ambulance. The growing elderly population is also helping in the growth of the market in the Americas. In addition, good reimbursement coverage and the availability of skilled professionals in the region are further anticipated to provide growth to the market.

Europe is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.92% over the forecast period. This is due to the high number of accidents and a well-developed healthcare sector. In addition, the increasing geriatric population in the region is further anticipated to boost the market's growth. For instance, in 2019, according to Eurostat, 20.3% of the EU-27 population was aged 65 and over. According to the UK National Health Service (NHS), approximately 25 million people visited Accident and Emergency departments in 2019–20, a rise of 1% from 2018–19 and 17% from 2010–11. This rise in emergency visits is further anticipated to boost the market's growth. Additionally, the EMS system is not standard throughout the region due to linguistic and cultural limitations. The WHO has been focusing on establishing the "European Inter-Ministerial Panel on Emergency Health Care," which can meet regularly and collaborate on exchanging and analyzing information on the structure, function, and effectiveness of EMS systems across all countries. This is further anticipated to provide growth opportunities for the market over the forecast period.

Asia-Pacific is expected to grow significantly over the forecast period. The United Nations projects that over the next 50 years, the proportion of persons 65 and older will increase substantially throughout Asia. For the region, the population in this age group is expected to increase by 314% from 207 million in 2000 to 857 million in 2050. This growth in the geriatric population is anticipated to provide significant growth opportunities for the emergency medical services market. In addition, there has been a considerable focus on developing healthcare infrastructure in the region, which further drives the market's growth.

Furthermore, increasing healthcare expenditure and the number of hospitals will further boost various opportunities that will lead to the development of the market in the region. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, 437,396 road accidents were reported in India in 2019, resulting in 154,732 fatalities and another 439,262 injuries. Further, osteoporosis affects almost 70 million Chinese over 50 and causes some 687,000 hip fractures yearly in China. Hence, a high number of accidents and injuries further supports the growth of the emergency medical services market in the region.s

The market for emergency medical services is growing in the Middle East and Africa due to the significant improvement in the healthcare infrastructure in the region and the increasing presence of key players for EMS products in the region. Furthermore, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Sub-Saharan Africa improved its economic performance showing positive economic growth along with extensive demand for healthcare resources. These factors are anticipated to drive market growth.

Segmental Analysis

The global emergency medical services market is segmented by product, services, application, and end-user.

Based on product, the market is divided into emergency revival equipment, patient monitoring systems, wound care consumables, infection control supplies, and others.

The emergency revival equipment segment is responsible for the largest market share and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 7.94% over the forecast period. Emergency revival equipment is used in critical conditions such as patients' heart attacks and breathing difficulties. It includes ventilators, defibrillators, resuscitators, endotracheal tubes, and laryngoscopes. According to the American Medical Association, around 62,188 fully equipped mechanical ventilators are used by US hospitals. On the other hand, defibrillators are also emergency medical equipment used in cardiac patients to maintain a normal rhythm. According to the American Heart Association, more than 95% of cardiac patients die without a defibrillator.

In contrast, the use of defibrillators increases patient survival chance up to 85%. Furthermore, the rising use of emergency revival equipment in various critical patient conditions also creates a lucrative growth opportunity for key players through the launch of new products. For instance, in June 2020, Fitbit released a ventilator called Fitbit Flow. This product's primary features are ease of use and low cost for an automatic resuscitator for emergency ventilation.

Based on services, the market is segmented into land ambulances and air ambulances.

The land ambulance segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.39% over the forecast period. The land ambulances are equipped with a wide array of equipment to facilitate patient care. These include two-way radio, mobile data terminal, tail lift, trauma lighting, air conditioning, and medical equipment such as a stretcher, nebulizer, laryngeal tube, oxygen cylinder, automated external defibrillator, pulse oximeter, and more. Most ambulances carry similar equipment, with a few exceptions of application-specific ambulances such as neonatal and mortuary ambulances. For instance, a neonatal ambulance is equipped with incubators for newborn or premature babies. In addition, a mortuary ambulance is used to transport dead bodies. Hence it is equipped with a freezing unit. The rising geriatric population and increase in cases of accidents are expected to support the growth of this segment in the global market.

Based on application, the market is segmented into cardiac care, trauma care, respiratory care, and others.

The cardiac care segment owns the highest market share and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.56% during the forecast period. The leading cause of death worldwide is cardiovascular disease (CVD). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2016, representing 31% of all global deaths. Moreover, 85% of these deaths were due to heart attack and stroke. Cardiac ambulances are explicitly designed to assist patients suffering from cardiac diseases. These ambulances are outfitted with a ventilator, defibrillator, oxygen tank, electrocardiography (ECG) machine, and a monitoring device to handle emergencies involving severely ill patients and life-threatening conditions, including cardiac arrests.

Based on end-user, the is segmented into hospitals and trauma centers, ambulatory surgical centers, and others.

The hospitals and trauma centers segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.27% over the forecast period. In most countries, there has been a marked rise in trauma-related hospital hospitalizations and emergency department visits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that in 2017, there were over 14.5 million visits to emergency rooms that resulted in hospital admission and roughly 2 million visits that resulted in access to the intensive care unit. The hospitals and trauma centers segment dominated the global market in 2019 by revenue. Since advanced treatment procedures are available in hospitals, patients usually prefer to be treated in hospitals.

Recent Developments

• January 2023- UCI Health and Catalina Island Medical Center announced a clinical affiliation between the University of California, Irvine’s leading academic health system, and Catalina Island’s primary provider of emergency, primary and acute care services.
• January 2023- N.S. announced a slate of changes to improve emergency departments.