Evaluation of Physicians' Attitudes Regarding Transport Modalities

Area of Science:

• Healthcare management
• Medical transport logistics
• Physician decision-making

Background:

• Hospital mergers necessitate interhospital transfers for consolidated medical services.
• Physicians face critical decisions regarding the appropriate level of interfacility transport modalities (ITMs).
• Assessing physician understanding and comfort with ITMs is crucial for efficient patient care coordination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate physician knowledge of interfacility transport modalities (ITMs).
• To assess physician comfort levels when selecting ITMs.
• To compare the perceptions and knowledge of emergency medicine/critical care physicians (EMPs/CCPs) with non-critical care physicians (NCCPs).

Main Methods:

• A voluntary, anonymous survey was distributed electronically to 2,510 physicians.
• Data analysis included calculating mean and median Likert values for knowledge and comfort.
• Statistical comparisons (t-test, Mann-Whitney) were made between EMPs/CCPs and NCCPs.

Main Results:

• Of 181 respondents, 69 were EMPs/CCPs and 100 were NCCPs.
• EMPs/CCPs reported significantly higher knowledge and comfort with ITMs (P < .0001).
• Patient stability was the primary factor in choosing ground or air critical care transport (CCT), with 60% believing air transport to be faster.

Conclusions:

• Emergency medicine and critical care physicians exhibit greater confidence and knowledge regarding ITMs.
• Educational interventions could potentially enhance the appropriate utilization of interfacility transport modalities.
• Further research is warranted to explore the impact of targeted educational strategies on ITM selection.