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Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Hospitals

5 Advances in Medicine & Transportation Technology

Technological advances are commonplace in today’s world – something new is being discovered or developed every day, specifically within the world of medicine. In addition, there have been dreams of transportation innovation throughout history. Just take the Back To The Future movies with flying cars (predicted to be around in 2015…). The truth is, there aren’t publicly available flying cars yet (although they are in the works), but many interesting advancements within the transportation world create a promising future of continued advancement in this industry. Our ever-changing society brings discoveries in all aspects of every sector, including medical transportation. The medical field is one that is constantly shifting and evolving, with new innovative research and discoveries being made in relation to healthcare, transportation, and technology – here are 5 advances currently being seen within the medical and transportation fields.

  1. Healthcare Technology: The pandemic catalyzed a surge in technological healthcare advances. Telehealth visits became common and continue to advance. This additional service in healthcare creates a wider variety of accessibility and flexibility for patients. Remote patient monitoring is related to telehealth and also brings new technology to home care. In terms of healthcare, the future will most likely bring about different methods of secure data-sharing between providers. This hasn’t been achieved yet due to HIPPA compliance and personal data protection. However, the next decade will surely bring about new ways to securely and safely share data between providers in order for patients to avoid unnecessary medical costs, testing, and treatments. 
  1. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML): AI and ML methods are being explored in the healthcare world and will begin to construct utilization in preventative studies, predictive analytics, and early disease detection. Both AI and ML are providing greater insight into tracking technology and accuracy. The importance of tracking, specifically when transporting medical specimens and equipment, can’t go unnoticed. The continuation of technology in creating spot-on tracking systems is crucial in the medical and transportation fields.
  1. Autonomous Cars and Maglev Technology: While just emerging in the consumer market as seen in Teslas, autonomous cars already exist and continue to develop in both technology and reputation. The continued development of this technology could significantly increase productivity and safety in ground courier services for both emergency and non-emergency purposes. Patient transportation could play a role in this as well, however that won’t begin to take place until the technology is much farther along in its journey to standardized practices. 

The Hyperloop vision could redefine long-distance travel for public use and goods transportation. Think of the positive implications that could have on medical transportation! The speed with which medical couriers could transport equipment, specimens, products, and supplies could be cut in half with this kind of future technology. NEMT transportation could utilize this method of transport between cities as well. Of course, it will be a while before we see what that will look like for both public and private transportation, as the use of maglev train technology isn’t seen in the USA yet, but could be within the next decade.

  1. Aerial Technology: UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology continues to enhance transportation prospects as well. The future of aerial transportation in the medical field will be a game-changer in transporting life-saving medical supplies or specimens as safely and efficiently as possible. The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the capabilities of UAVs in contactless delivery and transport of medical supplies and equipment. UAVs have even been used to deliver vaccines and medications in places like Malawi, Scotland, and the Pacific Islands. There are infinite uses for UAV technology in medical care which will no doubt continue to be tested and integrated into the everyday logistics of the medical field.
  1. Medical Treatment Technology: Incredible and promising new medical technology continues to improve, saving countless lives and taking the industry to new heights. This includes virtual reality, precision medicine, and mental health technology. Trials and testing are constantly being done for new and emerging medical treatments. Technology plays a large role in experimentation and implementing new medical treatments. The advancement in this area creates new hopes and opportunities for patients and healthcare providers alike.

Looking towards the future at tech trends and developments is always eye-opening to the innovative world we live in. Constant improvement and new ideas, specifically within the medical and transportation fields, can be seen everywhere in universities, research facilities, healthcare establishments, and transportation services. New technological advances enhance services, products, and methods. The innovations mentioned will be interesting to keep an eye on as we look towards the future of medicine, transport, and how they intertwine.

Emergency and Trauma Center
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Hospitals

Trauma Center Levels & Transport

Trauma Centers. Levels I through V. Transportation to and from. How does all of this connect? Well, buckle up because you are about to learn. The first trauma center was established in 1966 in San Fransisco, and trauma care and emergency medicine have only grown from there. Now, trauma care centers are categorized by the level of care they provide, the resources they have, and the annual intake of patients. While the services at each level of care vary a little from state to state, the basic principles of each level remain the same. So let’s get into it…

Level I

Generally, Level I Trauma Centers provide comprehensive tertiary care from prevention to rehabilitation for any injury. Despite being called “level one” this is the highest trauma center level. These centers include 24-hour coverage of multiple specialties. These facilities also generally…

  • Are teaching hospitals/campuses
  • Have a program of research
  • Leaders in trauma education and injury prevention
  • Are referral resources for surrounding communities and centers
  • Offer substance abuse screening, programs, and patient intervention
  • Meet minimum requirements for annual patient volume

As the highest level of emergency care, Level I Centers require immediate transportation for patients, supplies, and medical products. Patient transport is essential in emergency situations involving Level I care, whether that is ambulance transportation or air medical transportation. In addition to patient services, these facilities provide emergency surgery and trauma care, creating a high need for fast and efficient blood and organ transport via ground or air transportation. Time is of the essence in these situations, so the safe and immediate transport of organs, blood, or other medical specimens and product is vital.

Level II

Level II Centers will initiate care for patients with all injuries, working in collaboration with a Level I Center. These centers also have 24-hour care with all essential specialties and provide trauma prevention as well as…

  • Continuing education for staff
  • Meet minimum volume requirements (depending on local standards)
  • Refers tertiary care needs to Level I Center

In terms of transportation, the needs of Level II Centers are often similar to those of Level I, requiring immediate transportation of both patients and medical products.

Level III

On to Level III Centers! This level has the ability to care for the assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care, and stabilization of patients in emergency operations. These centers do not have the variety of specialists that Level I and II centers do. However, they still maintain…

  • 24-hour coverage from emergency medical physicians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists
  • Transfer agreements with level 1 or 2 trauma centers
  • Back up care for local hospitals
  • Continuing education for nursing, allied health personnel, and trauma team
  • Prevention and active outreach program for referring communities

Transportation to and from Level III centers is essential to pay attention to, in that this level still sees a lot of emergency operations. These centers often prepare patients to be transported to another facility, typically local. Therefore, these centers often utilize ambulance transportation from a Level III to a Level II or I Center.

Level IV

Almost there – Level IV. Initial evaluations, stabilization, and diagnostics are conducted in these centers before transferring patients to a higher level of care. Sometimes, more critical-care services and surgery are offered here in addition to…

  • Trauma-trained nurses available (physicians available upon arrival)
  • Transfer agreements with other higher-level trauma centers
  • Basic emergency department facilities
  • 24-hour laboratory coverage
  • Involvement in prevention and active outreach program efforts

Similar to Level III, Level IV Centers involve a lot of patient transfers to higher care facilities. 

Level V

Last but not least, Level V Trauma Centers are equipped as basic emergency department facilities for initial evaluation, stabilization, and diagnosis, preparing patients for a transfer to a higher level of care. These centers have…

  • Available trauma nurses and physicians
  • After-hours response protocol (not all Level V Centers are open 24 hours)
  • Transfer agreements with higher-level centers
  • Some, not all, have surgical and critical-care services

Patient transportation is essential in these centers, as most Level V Center visits result in transfer to a higher level of care if the patient requires it. Since these centers aren’t as emergent as the higher levels, NEMT transportation back to a personal residence prior to a Level V visit could be utilized.

Pediatric Trauma Centers

Honorable mention in Trauma Care Levels – Pediatric Trauma Centers. A Level I Trauma Center might be a Level II Pediatric Trauma Center; it depends on whether the location has the appropriate resources to treat pediatric patients properly. These centers hold all of the essential criteria of the center levels mentioned above, in addition to having…

  • Pediatric surgeon directing pediatric trauma services
  • Pediatric-credentialed trauma surgeons and pediatric specialists
  • Separate pediatric emergency room and ICU
  • Pediatric equipment for resuscitation in all care areas

Pediatric transportation requires slightly different processes than adult transport. Thankfully, many services, including Medi-Ops, have pediatric and NICU transportation services in addition to adult transportation services.

All in all, levels of trauma centers are vital to understanding medical emergencies as well as addressing what kinds of transportation might be required for patient and medical product needs in emergency situations. The levels in emergency medicine create specific environments for a patient to get optimal medical care. While emergency medicine continues to evolve and grow, the leaps made in trauma centers are huge in patient care.

medi-ops radiopharmaceuticals
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharma & Transport Networks

This year brings a big happy birthday to the radiopharmaceutical industry – turning 69! The continuous development within this field brings innovative changes specifically in cancer drugs and transportation networks. The world of nuclear medicine is small in comparison to other medical specialties but is growing rapidly as light continues to be shed on the unbelievable feats that diagnostic and therapeutic pharmaceuticals achieve. The effects and benefits of what nuclear medicine can do are truly undeniable. 

While the FDA began regulating radiopharmaceuticals as drugs in the 1970s, it would be a decade later that the exploration of oncological imaging and therapy use began in the 1980s. The next decade of the 90s brought further research and rapidly growing use of nuclear medicine (specifically in PET imaging). In this century, leaps and bounds in nuclear medicine have been made – from Time Magazine’s invention of the year as the PET/CT scan machine in 2000 to progressive FDA regulations and continued development in the industry, the best of nuclear medicine is yet to come.

With the extraordinary strides in medicine that radiopharmaceuticals have brought come many challenges – specifically in the safe transport of radiopharmaceuticals with time and radiation considerations. These forms of treatment are radioactive after all, which sounds scary, but really just means that transporting these products requires an extra level of attention and care than regular medical transport. 

The Radiopharmaceutical Industry

In the nuclear medicine world, radiopharmaceuticals can be used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. While diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals contain less radiation than therapy radiopharmaceuticals, both are composed of radioisotopes. These diagnostic procedures within nuclear medicine allow closer, more detailed imaging of specific organs and parts of the body through gamma scans (A.K.A scintigraphy). Both dynamic and static images can be produced, creating optimal specificity in diagnosis. Discoveries of future uses of radiopharmaceuticals in oncology and cardiology prognosis continue to be unveiled. In addition, there is a constant stream of drug development and testing on projected uses of radiopharmaceuticals.

The production of radiopharmaceuticals requires handling large quantities of radioactive substances in addition to chemical processing. Because of this, processing facilities in compliance with manufacturing practices, quality assurance, and control systems are essential for safe production. These products require registration with relevant health authorities as well as careful radioactive material transport. 

Cancer Drugs

The incredible ability of radiopharmaceuticals to detect and treat tumor cells provides for the unearthing of new cancer treatments. Radiopharmaceutical therapy in cancer treatment allows radioactive substances to target specific diseased cells, delivering radiation directly to the tumor and affected area. In specific targeting of cancer cells through therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals, side effects and harmful factors surrounding cancer treatments can be reduced. 

Transportation Networks

Now that we’ve had a refresher on the radiopharmaceutical industry and cancer drugs, let’s get into the interesting stuff. As always in medical transportation, there are imperative needs when moving products from one place to the other – Safety. Speed. Efficiency. Specifically with radiopharmaceuticals, complicated transportation networks are necessary to have in place to maintain the integrity of the product. 

Transportation processes of radioactive material are incredibly regulated. Radiopharmaceuticals are transported via Type A packaging, where extensive testing is done on the packages used to maintain and protect the product without releasing its contents. These tests are thorough! They include an hour of water spray, free fall testing onto a hard, flat surface, compression of five times the weight of the package, and penetration tests where heavy bars are dropped on the package from heights of over 3 feet. Once these packages prove themselves worthy after all of this testing, they are ready to serve their purpose in transporting these drugs all over the world. In addition to package regulations, a series of requirements for each mode of transportation (highway, rail, air, and water) are also in place through government transportation regulations.

While most radioactive materials aren’t allowed on commercial flights, radiopharmaceuticals are eligible for air carrier transportation. These products are volatile and require immediate transportation, qualifying for both ground and air transportation depending on the specific situation. Because radiopharmaceuticals have a short half-life, swift transportation efforts are imperative. Depending on the destination, a next flight out or air charter method of transport is typically preferred in these time-critical transportation cases. 

While nuclear medicine is still a relatively small field, the growth and development, particularly in radiopharmaceuticals, are skyrocketing. Transporting these products is an intricate process requiring the utmost level of safety and efficiency. With the right processes and procedures, radiopharmaceuticals are traveling around the world, changing lives and the world of medicine for the better.

Wheelchair Transport
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Wheelchair Transportation

The Increasing Demand for NEMT in Rapidly Rising Elderly Populations

Older Americans are one of the country’s fastest-growing demographics. The percentage of Americans aged 65 or older has a little more than quadrupled since 1900. This rapidly growing group of people not only brings increased wisdom, great stories, and plenty of life experience but also an ever-growing need for healthcare and transportation services – specifically non-emergency medical transportation.

Why is the Elderly Population Growing?

A prominent explanation of why the elderly population has been growing so rapidly is due to the generation of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964). This generation is now between the ages of 58 and 76, reflecting their baby boom roots. The population increase brings benefits – increased education levels, a drop in poverty for 65 and older Americans, and high life expectancies. However, the challenges of having a large senior population aren’t lost in America today. One of the challenges caused by the high number of senior citizens is a steep rise in the demand for elder healthcare and transportation.

What is NEMT, and Why is it Important?

Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) is a service for individuals with healthcare needs in non-emergency situations that require a safe and reliable source of transportation. This service is used to move individuals to and from health care centers for appointments, studies, or other medical needs when circumstances preventing self-transportation are present. NEMT transport comes in many forms – wheelchair, stretcher, ambulatory, and rideshare options all fall under non-emergency medical transportation solutions. Depending on an individual’s medical and financial needs, utilizing these different NEMT forms becomes situational and varies from person to person. 

Transportation barriers can affect any individual – anything from vehicle access to physical, mental, or cognitive limitations that would cause an individual the inability to drive or transport themselves to and from necessary medical care appointments. Due to these barriers, accessibility to NEMT services is imperative, specifically within older populations where transportation challenges are more prominent. Lack of transportation is one of the biggest reasons why an individual misses a medical appointment, and this delayed medical care can create a number of future problems. NEMT assures that a missed medical appointment or service will not be due to transportation concerns.

Medical emergencies are prevented with regular healthcare appointments and treatments. Without transportation to and from these services, an individual can’t have the medical access they require to live the healthiest life possible. The importance of NEMT can’t be denied, as ease of patient transportation is a direct factor in one’s physical and mental health and wellbeing. 

NEMT Challenges

Population increase is extraordinarily apparent in the United States today. If only the population were the sole reason for NEMT needs! Several circumstantial issues can factor into the need for NEMT. Busy schedules don’t always allow for transporting loved ones to and from medical appointments. Increased attention to sick individuals in relation to daily medical advances creates higher needs for medical appointments. Unreliable vehicles or lack of a personal method of transportation can come into play in these situations as well.

Legal challenges also arise in the NEMT world. Each state has different guidelines and regulations for service providers to follow, whether that be certifications or driver evaluation. Therefore, NEMT service providers must comply with their state’s standards. Ensuring your NEMT provider is aware of and enforcing state rules and regulations is vital to a safe NEMT experience.

The last thing you would want when utilizing a NEMT service is late arrivals or slow response times—because of this, using just any service would be ill-advised. Doing your homework and finding reliable and responsive providers make all the difference. Patients have diverse needs, and utilizing experts that can help make the correct call on what kind of services would best influence the patient creates a safe and productive transportation experience.

NEMT and Elderly Communities

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the main goal for many senior individuals. While achieving this goal as a senior requires attention to diet, activities, and relationships, a large part of living a healthy life is consistent medical care and check-ups. Senior living solutions are quick to encourage regularly scheduled healthcare appointments. However, what happens when the time comes to actually get to those visits?

Elderly individuals face more transportation barriers than the rest of the population. Inability to drive, physical and mental limitations and access to vehicles are only some of the transportation barriers faced by this population. Seniors also generally require a higher attention to detail when it comes to healthcare. Regular medical visits are essential, and more healthcare benefits are utilized in this population. Because of these realities, the increasing population of seniors in the United States directly affects the increase in the need for non-emergency medical transportation. Whether you or a loved one falls into this population group, NEMT can be the answer to healthcare and safety concerns regarding transportation.

NEMT at Medi-Ops

Medi-Ops offers multiple patient transportation services and is proud to offer NEMT across the country for your loved ones. Personalized operations coordinators are available to determine the correct service and operator after considering your patient’s medical and financial needs. Obtain a free quote or schedule transportation today!

Proper healthcare requires proper transportation. Therefore, non-emergency medical transportation is undeniably a necessity in the medical industry. With population size on the rise, specifically the number of elderly individuals, NEMT is a growing need and requires attention to detail and personalization. Thankfully, the right services exist to address and recognize the medical transportation needs of each person and their loved ones.

Human blood in storage bags
Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Blood Bank, Courier Services

Blood Versus Plasma Storage & Transportation

Every year in the United States and Canada alone, 4.5 million people need a blood transfusion. The medical needs of these millions of people create a need for significant amounts of blood to be donated, stored, transported, and transfused on a daily basis. Each of these processes has specific requirements and standards in order to safely and effectively retrieve, store and send blood across the country. When storing and transporting blood and its components, it’s vital to understand the similarities and differences between the standards each component requires. Plasma (which makes up 55 percent of blood), as well as whole blood, are both common in types of patient transfusions, however, each has different storage and transport requirements. 

Blood V.S. Plasma

Whole blood is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Blood is stored in refrigerated environments with a shelf life of 21 to 35 days. Blood can be used in its whole form or have different components extracted after a blood draw depending on the medical need and intended use of the unit of blood. In order to acquire blood necessary for medical procedures, eligible individuals willing and ready to donate blood are essential. This donating process involves a medical professional inserting a sterile needle into the donor’s arm and completing a blood draw. An individual donating whole blood will usually give about a pint of blood, which takes 8 to 10 minutes to collect. The blood donation will be kept on ice until it is transported to a processing center where multiple tests are conducted on the donator’s blood to determine blood type and confirm that there are no diseases or irregularities within the donated unit. Once determining the donation is viable, the blood is packaged and properly stored until the time comes to distribute blood to a hospital or medical institution. Blood donations are used for surgeries, traumatic injuries, cancer treatments and so much more. In the United States, an individual is in need of blood every 2 seconds, so donating blood is an incredible act of service. One pint of blood (one donation!) can save up to three lives! Interested in donating? Learn more about the donation process and what you can do here!

In whole blood, red and white blood cells, as well as platelets, are suspended in a yellowish liquid called plasma. Plasma is essential to the body in maintaining blood pressure, supplying blood clotting proteins, and is also important for immunity and electrolyte transport. In order to extract plasma from other blood components, the liquid (plasma) and cells must be separated. When an individual chooses to donate plasma, a blood draw is conducted, similar to a whole blood donation. However, the key difference in this donation process is that the blood drawn is filtered through a high-tech machine that extracts plasma for collection and then sends red cells and platelets, along with saline, back into the donor’s body. This process takes longer than a whole blood donation, averaging about an hour and fifteen minutes. Once collected, plasma goes through a freezing process to store it properly. Plasma transfusions are conducted in cases of cancer treatment, burn victims, liver failure, and those that have experienced severe trauma.

3 Similarities in Blood and Plasma Storage

  1. Temperature Maintenance – Blood and plasma products must be stored in specific temperature conditions to properly preserve the product. This goes for storage as well as transport. When a product is in transport, extra measures must be taken to ensure that optimal temperature standards are being maintained.
  2. Time – When transporting blood and plasma, time is a huge factor. While these two products have different shelf lives, both of them should never have a transportation time of over 24 hours. Medi-Ops’s ground and air transportation services have created a standard of efficient and time-friendly transport in order to excel under these standards.
  3. Equipment – Unmonitored and ill-constructed equipment can be detrimental to the storage and transportation process of both blood and plasma. A careful eye and assurance of proper procedures are essential in cases of handling these medical products. 

3 Differences in Blood and Plasma Storage

  1. Temperature Requirement – While temperature maintenance is a similarity in both blood and plasma storage, the requirements for each are different. Blood units require refrigerated storage at 2 to 6 degrees Celsius. Plasma, once collected, must be flash frozen at -70 degrees celsius before being transferred to storage at -30 degrees celsius. These temperatures are imperative in maintaining both products.
  2. Shelf Life – In terms of shelf life, blood and plasma are drastically different. After extraction and proper storage, blood units have a shelf life of up to 35 days. In contrast, plasma can last up to a year in its frozen state. However, once thawed, plasma has a short shelf life of 5 days, depending on the plasma product.
  3. Container – Due to the difference in temperature, the type of containers used during transport is important when moving blood or plasma. Specifically designed blood transport boxes are most common for moving blood units from one location to another. Insulated containers with ice packs that can maintain the specific temperatures required to preserve blood during transport can also be used. When transporting plasma,  insulated containers that can support dry ice or a substantial amount of wet ice are necessary to keep the product in its ideal frozen state.

All in all, blood and plasma are used daily in the medical field and units are in constant need of transport. Although having their fair share of similarities and differences in the donation, storage, transportation, and transfusion processes, these products require specific attention to storage and transport details. The way Medi-Ops accommodates all of these specifics, safely transporting a variety of medical products and specimens, including plasma and blood, ensures consistent, quality service. When it comes to life-altering circumstances, the efficiency and quality of medical storage and transport are of the utmost importance.

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