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Helicopter dispatch: a time study
K Stanhope1, R E Falcone, H Werman
1Regional Trauma Services, Grant Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43215, USA.
Air Medical Journal
|June 6, 1997
Summary
Delays in air medical transport are primarily in the request to liftoff phase, not dispatch. Identifying these specific reasons can help improve program efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Aerospace Medicine
- Healthcare Operations
Background:
- Air medical transport programs are crucial for rapid patient care.
- Optimizing operational efficiency is key to maximizing service availability.
- Understanding pre-flight timelines is essential for improving response times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify request to liftoff (R/L) and dispatch to liftoff (D/L) times.
- To identify and analyze reasons for delays in an active air medical transport program.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational study design.
- Data collected over a 4-week period for 197 consecutive missions.
- Study blinded to crew and pilots.
Main Results:
- Average R/L time was 10.9 minutes; average D/L time was 6.8 minutes.
- Flights with R/L > 10 minutes were often delayed by weather checks or requestor standby.
- Most variance in timing occurred during the R/L phase.
Conclusions:
- R/L time is a more significant indicator of program activity and delays than D/L time.
- Identified delay reasons are limited, suggesting potential for targeted improvement strategies.
- Streamlining R/L processes can enhance overall air medical transport efficiency.