Back when I worked at $HEALTHCARE_INUSRANCE_CO we were trying to solve this (more general problem) from the other side. We regularly saw routine calls for what could only be described as "loneliness". Our research lead us to find that a high percentage of elderly folks (50+) identified as lonely regardless of their living situation. [1]
Looking deeper into claims data, we found a high percentage of these calls were in rural communities. These inessential emergency calls often lead to resources being expended without need. For example: the singular community ambulance being dispatched to the caller's home only because they wanted to chat. Even when considering the dispatcher filtering out these callers, and the emergency personnel doing their best to leave as quickly as possible, it still places a strain on the system. Tying up emergency personnel with mundane tasks creates a far greater risk for the community if & when they're needed.
We unfortunately found no solution to this problem. It ran deeper than just alleviating non-emergency emergency-response claims: it was due to the loneliness epidemic, and the company was uncomfortable shouldering the financial and legal cost of trying to create a solution.
Looking deeper into claims data, we found a high percentage of these calls were in rural communities. These inessential emergency calls often lead to resources being expended without need. For example: the singular community ambulance being dispatched to the caller's home only because they wanted to chat. Even when considering the dispatcher filtering out these callers, and the emergency personnel doing their best to leave as quickly as possible, it still places a strain on the system. Tying up emergency personnel with mundane tasks creates a far greater risk for the community if & when they're needed.
We unfortunately found no solution to this problem. It ran deeper than just alleviating non-emergency emergency-response claims: it was due to the loneliness epidemic, and the company was uncomfortable shouldering the financial and legal cost of trying to create a solution.
1. https://www.aarp.org/personal-growth/transitions/info-09-201...