Picture the ambulances you see racing down the street today and where you think these innovative patient transport systems may have come from. The first ambulance ever is traced back to the 1400s in Spain. In the midst of the war, Spanish forces began using horses and a creatively constructed lightweight wagon to move injured forces from the battleground. America caught on to this idea during the Civil War and ambulance technology has skyrocketed from there. Not only are ambulances specifically designed for patients, supplies, and fast transportation, but specialized ambulatory services have the ability to serve patients better than ever before.
While many people think of ambulances, or even patient transport, as a one size fits all situation, that isn’t necessarily the case. Many different kinds of vehicles, staff, and services cater to a patient’s exact needs. This makes a big difference when time is of the essence in an emergency or scheduled transportation situation.
Emergency Ambulance Services
The fastest, most efficient transportation while paramedics give urgent medical care to the passenger. That is standard emergency ambulance services. Typically utilized in extremely high-profile injuries or accidents where patients need care immediately, this service can involve ALS (critical condition patients and life-threatening cases) and BLS (non-advanced procedures required during transportation) transport.
ICU Transportation
The ICU (Intensive Care Unit) is staffed and stocked with highly qualified medical professionals and specific equipment to treat patients who are critically ill. These patients sometimes need to be transported between medical care facilities; however, any transportation here comes with a great deal of risk to the patient due to their condition. ICU transportation, therefore, requires a great deal of risk assessment, leading to confirmation of proper staff and specialties, all the necessary equipment specific to the patient’s case and condition, detailed and carefully-chosen routes, and intricate handover processes. Since these patients aren’t necessarily stable, this extra level of thought and care in every detail of transportation is required to reduce transport risk as much as possible.
NICU Transportation
NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) transportation requires advanced capabilities. Families with a child in the NICU already have enough to worry about, and transportation shouldn’t be one of them. NICU transports include extensively trained professionals and a transportation environment designed to protect and serve newborn patients. Newborns have extremely different needs than adult patients, so the staff, environment, equipment, and services provided to the patient during transport are radically different from typical emergency transportation. Learn more about an example of what NICU transportation can look like here!
Pediatric Transportation
Similar to NICU transport, pediatric transportation teams require specialized staff with specific training and practice in pediatrics. Pediatric medical equipment also varies from standard adult treatment. The staff of pediatric transportation teams are detail oriented and sure to speak with providers, creating high levels of communication from start to finish.
Stretcher Transportation
Stretcher transportation falls under cases when a patient’s condition isn’t necessarily critical. This falls under NEMT (non-emergency transportation), and these transports are typically scheduled in advance. Moving patients to and from hospitals and care facilities or doctor’s offices and private residences is a prevalent need. Time is still an important factor as punctuality in any medical transportation process is essential. Knowledgeable staff, safe and reliable drivers, and vehicles designed to transport stretchers efficiently and safely are all factors in stretcher transportation.
Bariatric Transport
With patients that need extra help and assistance getting to and from various locations and facilities, bariatric transportation is specifically designed for patients weighing over four hundred pounds. With specialized staff, specifically-designed stretchers, and appropriate vehicles, these types of transport can accommodate several kinds of patients. In these cases, moving in and out of vehicles, sensitive heart and skin conditions, and the need to monitor vitals are typical patient needs. Similar to other forms of transportation, bariatric service providers ensure that the right staff and equipment, as well as appropriately sized vehicles, are readily available and present to assist bariatric patients.
Long Distance Transport
If a patient requires long-distance transport between care facilities, long-distance ground transportation may be an option. If in non-critical conditions, ground transportation between long distances can be an alternative for patients to flight services and air medical transportation. This can save money and is also an option for patients unwilling or unable to fly. Typically more than 200 miles, transporting patients this way requires the service to consider comfort, medical professionals, and in most cases, accommodation for a family member or friend to accompany the patient. Patients that need to be transported that distance and who are in critical condition, however, may need to resort to air transportation instead.
Flight Services
Air medical transportation is essential in treating patients in rural areas with extreme injuries and those that are in critical condition and require long-distance transport. Planes with proper staffing and equipment for these extreme conditions and injuries are utilized to get the patient to the medical care they need in the safest, most time-efficient way possible.
All ambulatory transportation needs are unique and require different services in order to best treat patients. Understanding these different services is important in the medical transportation world. In an emergency, it can be hard to think through who to call and what you need, which is why transportation logistics partners can be extremely helpful in these situations. Here at Medi-Ops, we offer many ambulatory services, and with a centralized dispatch center get every client connected to the proper service. We, as a company, have connections with all of these services and can connect clients and transport in one call with time and efficiency as a top priority. Time is valuable in emergencies, so client knowledge of which services best fit the emergency is important; however, transportation providers like Medi-Ops can also help to identify the best service possible and move forward in the transportation process.