Turkish Studies International Periodical for the Languages, Literature and History of Turkish or Turkic Volume 12/13, p. 95-116 DOI Number: http://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.11452 ISSN: 1308-2140, ANKARA-TURKEY This article was checked by iThenticate. ISSUES EXPERIENCED IN PROVISION OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IN PRE-HOSPITALIZATION PERIOD IN TURKEY Sedat BOSTAN * - Cihan UNAL ** ABSTRACT Objectives: The present study was conducted to determine issues experienced during provision of emergency health services before hospitalization of patients and to suggest solution for hospital administrations and practitioners for eliminating relevant bottlenecks. Methods: Whereas the study covered 459 health service personnel at the emergency service in Trabzon City, Turkey in 2016, a Likert-type survey method was harnessed as a data collection tool whose reliability and validity were tested. Collected study data were analyzed for their frequency and significance test. Results: Based on the obtained findings, it was determined that emergency health services have been strengthened in terms of infrastructure, preparedness for cases and human resources and organizational structure. However, substantial issues were observed with the accessing and intervention process to cases reported considered as external factors. Conclusion: These issues could mainly be classified under two groups: the first is reflection of limitations introduced by the established buildings, roads and other infrastructure and the influence of economic opportunities on social organization and development on emergency service intervention processes; and this contributes into our case with inadequate structural features of buildings, stairs, elevators, roads, gates. The second is the issue related with social education, culture and mentality. Reflections of the second group issues could be observed in false and malicious calls made to emergency service, violation of right of way assigned to ambulances, adverse attitudes of relatives of patients and verbal attack aiming at emergency service personnel. * Doç. Dr. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sağlık Yönetimi, El-mek: sbostan29@gmail.com ** Arş. Gör. Gümüşhane Üniversitesi, Sağlık Yönetimi, Sakarya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Sağlık Yönetimi ABD Yüksek Lisans Öğrencisi