Remote Health Care at U.S. Antarctic Stations: A Comparison with Standard Emergency Medical Practice

The three U.S. Antarctic research stations' medical facilities exist in an isolated, harsh environment, typical of many such facilities throughout the world. Emergency physicians frequently staff these medical facilities; however, most who are considering this have many misconceptions about the stations and about the scope of medical practice that exists there.

This article illuminates how Antarctic medical practice is comparable with and dissimilar to other emergency medicine experiences and highlights information that any emergency physician-applicant to an isolated medical position should learn prior to accepting the position.

Antarctic medical care both parallels and differs from typical emergency medical practice in many ways, including the patient population, facilities, supplies, equipment, clinical duties (e.g., providing out- and inpatient medical and dental care, performing laboratory tests and imaging), and nonclinical duties (e.g., disaster planning, teaching, food service inspection, and public health officer). Climate-related limitations on medical evacuation epitomize the stations' isolation. Medical practice may be complicated by ethical issues common in other small isolated settings, such as a lack of privacy and confidentiality. Clinicians considering an isolated practice opportunity should ask basic questions to learn as much detailed information as possible prior to taking the positions.

Medical practice at U.S. Antarctic stations, as at many remote health care facilities throughout the world, has similarities to standard emergency medical practice. Even so, significant differences result in a steep learning curve. Any clinicians considering practicing in these locations should carefully evaluate the practice and the environment in advance of any deployment.