Civilian air ambulance services in Oregon

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medical Services
• Aeromedical Transportation
• Healthcare Quality Assurance

Background:

• Air ambulance services are critical for patient transport.
• Assessing the operational status and patient selection criteria of these services is essential for quality improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate the current status of air ambulance services in Oregon.
• To assess patient selection appropriateness and identify areas for service enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Questionnaires were sent to 18 Oregon air ambulance operators; 16 responded.
• Patient transport records (128 of 152) from September 1985 were reviewed for selection appropriateness.
• Data collected included aircraft details, medical equipment, and staff training.

Main Results:

• Trauma patients to specialized centers were the largest category.
• Inappropriate transports occurred due to lack of preflight aeromedical assessment (at least 2% contraindicated).
• While equipment generally met standards, documentation, aircraft features (pressurization, door size), and staff training were often deficient; regulations were unenforced.

Conclusions:

• Oregon's air ambulance services showed variability in quality and adherence to standards.
• Improvements are needed in preflight patient assessment, aircraft configuration, staff training, and regulatory enforcement.
• Recommendations are provided to guide services and address identified deficiencies for better aeromedical care.