General Health | Health And Wellness Tips

Disadvantages of Using a Broker to Secure Air Ambulance Transportation

If you or someone you love are in need of transportation via air ambulance, you may be confused about where to look to locate such a service. Frequently, patients and families will turn to a broker in order to secure air ambulance services. The use of a broker can help you to locate air ambulance services to meet the needs of the patient, but this is not always the best plan of action.

Using a broker to secure air ambulance travel for a patient can have many disadvantages. It can be wise to take the time to search for air ambulance service on your own whenever possible.

Since the broker is a middle man, he does not own the aircraft, fly the air ambulance, or staff the flight. The broker merely finds an appropriate air ambulance service at the lowest price available. Although this may sound like a great opportunity, it really is not a beneficial situation.

After the broker locates air ambulance transportation, he adds his fee to the final cost.

Using a broker does not ensure a higher level of quality for the patient. In fact, they have no system to analyze quality control for patient care. Dealing directly with the air ambulance service company, the patient can receive the best rate for the service.

Going through a broker to locate air ambulance services will tie your hands and leave the patient unable to deal directly with the service provider. On the other hand, patients who forego the broker can contact the air ambulance service provider directly. This allows the opportunity to discuss any personal questions or concerns. During this stressful time, patients and their families need reassurance. Direct contact between you and the air ambulance company can be very comforting and provide much needed peace of mind about the quality service and medical treatment the patient will receive.

Using a broker to secure adequate air ambulance transportation services is much like using a broker to locate the perfect child care provider for your children. Regardless of the excellent reputation of the service provider, it is important and crucial to have trust and confidence in the service provider for the best results. Yes, the broker will find appropriate services, but will everyone feel confident about the broker’s decision? Making the decision for the best air ambulance service provider through your own resources will add a sense of comfort and assurance.

If the circumstances arise that you or a family member require the services of transportation by air ambulance, you may want to skip the services from a broker and do the legwork yourself. There are several advantages to locating the air ambulance service on your own. Without the use of a broker, direct contact between you and the service provider is useful to answer any questions that may arise.

A sense of confidence arises with the patient and the family during this interaction. Also, dealing directly with the air ambulance service provider can create an opportunity to receive the highest quality service at a great value. Going through a broker merely marks up the cost of such services.

Consider Safety First When Choosing an Air Ambulance

Times of stress often leave people feeling drained and unable to think clearly. When you or a loved one are suffering from medical conditions, stress levels are high. It is important to think of safety first when deciding on which air ambulance company to use. Here are some suggestions to help you put safety first in the decision.

Don’t let the stress and circumstances cloud your mind. Research the air ambulance service thoroughly before making the decision to use their services. Learn about the company and their history. Find out what certifications the pilot and flight crew must possess. Do the pilot and other crew members meet all FAA requirements and certifications? Is the pilot required to have flight-simulator training? If so, how often.

Some companies will permit only a single pilot to fly the aircraft. Although this is not deemed unsafe, it is a good idea to fly with an air ambulance service that offers two pilots in the cockpit.

Inexperienced pilots may not have the hours and background to safely transport patients on a medical mission. Locate an air ambulance company that uses pilots solely dedicated to medical missions that require numerous hours of flight time.

Ask about the company’s safety record. Although most companies who offer air ambulance services have excellent safety records, you can never be so sure. Find out for yourself. Do your homework to make sure the company follows the strictest guidelines in the industry.

Find out if the air ambulance company is a member of CAMTS. This means that the company is certified by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Services. Membership varies throughout the industry, but with no federal standards in place, it is a way to be certain that minimum competency and safety standards are being met. To receive certification, the company commits to being evaluated on educational standards, safety, equipment, staffing, maintenance,
Communication, and administration.

When considering an air ambulance transportation service, find out if the company employs a medical director. This person should be a licensed physician trained in all the areas of critical care and emergency treatment. This person should be available for consultation during a transport if questions should arise. Also, to encourage quality control, this individual will review the circumstances of the transport to ensure that all medical protocols were followed correctly.

This person oversees the training of medical staff and is responsible for the actions of the medical team during the transport. A company with such a person on staff has a lot at stake, so quality and standards will be high in such a case.

How many medical professionals accompany the patient during transport? In many situations, an air ambulance service may only send out one medically trained person on each flight. In some instances, this is safe for patients, but if an emergency should occur, it is best to have a minimum of two medically trained personnel on hand to completely handle the emergency situation. The trained staff should have experience in emergency treatment and critical care. In specialized cases, more members should accompany a patient and the number of the team increases. This is true in cases that require a respiratory therapist, for example.

Investigating air ambulance services may seem overwhelming at the time, but knowing that the patient’s needs should come first is important. Safety of the patient is evident in companies that strive for excellence. Check out the air ambulance company and their safety record for an indication of the company’s quality and level of experience before making the final decision.

Children Tour Air Ambulance Helicopter

We have all seen and heard the choppers overhead. The familiar sight and sound tells us that the air ambulance helicopter is heading off on another medical mission. Each time the air ambulance flies by, everyone’s curiosity is peaked. Both children and adults will stare and stretch their necks to snag a glimpse of the air ambulance. There is just something exciting about an air ambulance that consumes us and nabs our attention.

Young children, in particular, have an interest in things like a fire truck or police car. Imagine their excitement when they can take a closer look at an air ambulance. The kids will wander up and stare wide-eyed at the bird. The mere size of the chopper up close is amazing to the youngsters.

Many communities have made arrangements for the local air ambulance helicopter to be on display at community events and safety expos. Children and adults alike peer inside this marvelous machine for a glance at the medical wonder. This rare opportunity is not only educational, but memorable, for the children as well.

It is sad, but true that more and more people need the service of an air ambulance. This unique opportunity to experience the air ambulance up close is not only interesting and educational, but helps to inform children about the benefits of being careful and practicing excellent safety habits. It is wise to use the tour of the air ambulance as an opening to communication about health and safety messages.

The experience of touring an air ambulance may also allow the opportunity for the children to meet the flight crew and medical staff. Getting to know community heroes is an excellent experience for children. Teachers can use this opportunity for children to write a letter to the crew or other heroes in the local community. Older children may find the experience intriguing and be interested in learning more about volunteering or becoming an EMT. Grasping a child’s natural curiosity could lead to a career in the medical field or as a pilot in the years to come.

If your community has not set up an opportunity to tour an air ambulance, then consider checking into this as a project through school, Scouts, or other organizations.

For older children, it may be possible to schedule a chance to ride in the air ambulance as an observer. High school students interested in a medical career may relish the opportunity to job shadow in this position.

Tap into children’s interests to educate by touring an air ambulance helicopter. Utilize the experience to meet the requirements for a safety demonstration, health badge or project, or simply for fun. Children of all ages seem to be intrigued about this marvelous medical machine.

Touring and examining an air ambulance may inspire youngsters to peruse a career in the medical field. Speaking directly with the flight crew and medical staff can help children to realize their own potential to help others. There are numerous benefits to children who take advantage of the opportunity to tour an air ambulance.

Can Family Travel With the Patient in an Air Ambulance?

When a loved one is dealing with serious medical conditions, everyone wants to help and be supportive. The family of the patient wants to be involved and informed about what is going on. Just like the doctors and medical staff, a patient’s loving family wants what is best for the patient. When the patient must be transported, many issues of concern arise. If a loved one must fly in an air ambulance, can someone from the family come along for support?

The goal of transporting the patient is often to reach qualified healthcare quickly and conveniently. This is especially true for many patients whose lives are dependent on the speed in which they get to the appropriate hospital and treatment. In some cases, the patient will fly in an air ambulance just a short distance to a local hospital, in other cases, a patient may travel across the globe for medical services.

Each specific case is looked at individually. There is no one right answer to this question. In some cases, it is imperative to the patient that they only travel in the air ambulance with the medical staff. Frequently, this is due to space limitations in the aircraft. For example,, if the patient has just been involved in a severe car accident and must be air lifted to a trauma hospital in a helicopter, there may not be adequate room aboard the aircraft for the medical personnel to properly care for the patient if another person is seated in the area.

On the other hand, if the patient must fly long distances for medical treatment, larger jet aircrafts may be more suited to the medical mission. If this should be the case, chances are high that there will be the necessary room for a member of the family to accompany the patient safely while en route to the destination.

Doctors, medical staff, and family all know that the patient is more relaxed when they can travel with someone they know and care about. For this reason, whenever possible, accommodations for a support person are made during the trip in an air ambulance. Of course, if the medical mission is compromised by the addition of another person into the cabin, for any reason, family members will be asked to refrain and meet the patient at the destination by using other forms of travel.

During this stressful time, all efforts are made to make the patient the most comfortable and relaxed as possible, while keeping safety as the top priority. If someone wants to accompany the patient on the air ambulance to the destination, by all means, ask. If it is feasible, the medical staff will welcome the family member aboard the aircraft. If the request is denied, take heart that the decision was based solely on the safety of the patient and the flight crew.

Travel by air ambulance can be a complicated issue, but the mission is to safely get the patient from the point of origin to the destination as quickly as possible. In some cases, patients are not permitted a support person during the flight, but whenever possible, a family member is encouraged to travel with the patient.