Open AccessAir Medical Service: a Review on its Cost‐Effectiveness, the Role of in‐Flight Physician and Safety
Author(s) -
Pang PKM
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
hong kong journal of emergency medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.145
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2309-5407
pISSN - 1024-9079
DOI - 10.1177/102490790100800104
Subject(s) - medicine , medical emergency , service (business) , the internet , emergency medical services , medline , aeronautics , medical physics , world wide web , computer science , engineering , economy , political science , law , economics
A literature review of recent articles on helicopter aeromedical services (HEMS) was carried out. The methods used included a Medline search using the key words ‘air ambulance’ and ‘helicopter EMS’. Other sources of information were also obtained from internet web‐sites such as www.aams.org , www.info.gov.hk/gfs/performctx.htm and eMedicine.com free online textbook. The results show that HEMS is cost‐effective with a good safety record, and it is also evident that in‐flight physicians are particularly useful in improving the survival of severely injured patients. Strict criteria to select patients for HEMS operations must be publicised and followed by both callers and the HEMS dispatcher.