People Are Calling Uber Instead of Ambulances, Study Finds

 People are increasingly taking Uber instead of ambulances to get to the hospital, new research suggests. 

For a (non-peer-reviewed) research paper released Wednesday, economics professor David Slusky and Dr. Leon Moskatel looked at ambulance usage in 766 US cities upon the arrival of Uber from 2013 to 2015. Slusky tells the Mercury News that when Uber came to a city ambulance usage dropped "at least" 7% using the "most conservative" numbers. 

Moskatel says they expect it to increase to 10% to 15% "as Uber continues to expand as an alternative for people." Uber is not necessarily thrilled about this development. "Uber is not a substitute for law enforcement or medical professionals," spokesperson Andrew Hasbun says. "In the event of any medical emergency, we always encourage people to call 911."

Read the full story on Newser.com

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