What should be the priority of paramedics who respond to accidents? Should they treat the patients with their limited facilities or should they rush the victims to the nearest hospital (an approach known as “scoop and run”)? A research project begun in 1993 may provide the answer.

Researchers looked at the care of 1,846 trauma patients—those with life threatening injuries—in Montreal (1), Toronto (2), and Quebec City (3). Montreal uses physicians to provide advanced life support (ALS) at the scene of the accident. Toronto uses paramedics to provide ALS, and Quebec City uses emergency medical services who apply only basic life support. The outcomes (survived = 1, died = 2) and city were recorded. Determine whether there are differences in the death rate between the three cities. What recommendation would you make?