Air Medical Transports (V2)

Course overview

As many as 400,000 patients are transported by air ambulances every year. If a patient is in need of high levels of care and the time to receive that care is greatly extended, an air transport is a valuable resource and the improved outcome of prompt air transportation may make a critical difference to the patient. Yet, for some patients, air transport may put them at a greater risk relative to the cost and value of the service. Barbara Maher, Paramedic, Flight Paramedic, and RN at the University of Maryland Medical Center and ExpressCare Critical Care Transport Team, shares both the pros and cons of air medical transport, and discusses the safety considerations for EMS responders on the ground as well as those transporting patients in the helicopter. This course helps ground providers consider all objective information when deciding to utilize an air medical transport service, including ensuring the safety of the ground crew, the flight crew, and the patient during landing, transferring, and transporting.