查看文章

The helicopter as a method of emergency medical service transportation of trauma patients has a long history of effective use-cases dating back to its inception during the Vietnam war. Compared to ground-based emergency medical transit, helicopters have been able to reach severely injured patients in environments with challenging terrain features that ground-based medical services cannot traverse. Additionally, the helicopter offers quicker and more direct-route transit options that result in both quicker response and shorter transportation times compared to their ground-based alternative. Further, research has indicated that helicopter ambulance teams utilize paramedics with more experience than ground ambulance paramedics. Prior research has provided evidence that these factors contribute to the higher survivability rates and lower length of stay times for patients. While evidence of the increased patient health-related outcomes of helicopter-transported patients remains consistent, there is controversy in the relationship between the studied factors and patient outcomes. Specifically, conflicting reports of transportation time on patient outcomes as well as the lack of observed data on paramedic experience on helicopter medical transports have resulted in an inconclusive understanding of why helicopter patients receive better health outcomes compared to ground ambulance patients. One aspect of patient care that has yet to be investigated but is previously hypothesized to be a factor in contributing to better patient health outcomes is that of the emergency medical service to emergency department trauma center handoff where information …