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Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Flight Services

How Drones and UAVs are Increasingly Offering Support During Medical Emergencies

Over the years, human beings have been shown to harness technology to meet their needs and wants. This dedication to the betterment of society has defied the limits of human possibility. Technology is increasingly being applied in modern healthcare to tackle some overarching challenges people face today. Much of the attention has been on the use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for direct patient intervention and to meet emergency medical supply needs.

Although drone technology was initially intended for aerial and military applications, innovators have since changed the trajectory and customized these systems for healthcare delivery. Already, there have been successful cases of healthcare organizations using drone technology to move laboratory samples, pharmaceuticals, blood products, medical supplies, organs, and vaccines to deserving populations.

This article covers the growing role of drones and UAV support during medical emergencies and what this might mean for the future of healthcare delivery.

The Transportation of Blood and Blood Products

One of the most important issues during medical emergencies is the need for emergency blood supplies to help stop uncontrolled hemorrhage. Because it is one of the primary causes of trauma-induced preventable deaths, stopping uncontrolled hemorrhage on time can greatly improve patient survival.

Patients who have undergone major trauma can be saved through timely blood transfusion. This process can be enhanced by integrating swift and reliable drone transport. An example can be given in Rwanda, where drones are being used to deliver cost-effective blood transportation services during traumatic events such as postpartum hemorrhage. The government has backed the process, which has helped save thousands of lives.

In the United States, the drone delivery of blood and blood products is yet to be successfully implemented due to the high regulation of air traffic. However, given the potential that these technologies have in shaping the future of blood transportation, it is just a matter of time before plans are put into place. 

The Shipping of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

Another fundamental application of drone technology is the delivery of AEDs to emergency locations. Research indicates that over 350,000 people annually experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) in the United States. The survival rate is extremely low at ten percent.

The problem with OHCA situations is that it takes a while before EMS services arrive, leaving victims at the mercy of bystander conduct. Although bystander fibrillation and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can work sometimes, inaccuracies or little delays can prove fatal. 

In many rural areas, EMS services can take long before they arrive at emergency locations due to technical and logistical challenges. An activity that would often take 8 minutes can take up to 30, depending on the setting. Still, recent studies indicate that drones can deliver AEDs swiftly and reliably to where they are needed. The aim is for the AEDs to reach a designated bystander before emergency services arrive.

Therefore, drones have the capability to save lives in OHCA scenarios. If the use of this technology is completely rolled out, then the healthcare industry can improve the survival rate from the current 10%.

The Transportation of Rescue Medications

As earlier stated, drones are being used today to haul medicines and vaccines to deserving populations. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some drone companies used these technologies to deliver vaccines to rural locations in Africa. The uptake was immense, and the technology has since been rolled out in the United States to deliver health products to customers once they purchase them on e-commerce platforms. This ideology has also spread to Asia, where Japanese companies use drones to haul medical supplies to clinics and pharmacies within the Goto Islands. 

Although this reality has only been realized as a response to the pandemic, it can be seen that drone transportation of medical supplies has global applicability as the technology can be implemented both in rural and urban areas.

One of the potential application areas in the United States is the transportation of nasal spray naloxone to help manage opioid overdose (OD) cases. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists cutting opioid addiction rates as one of its key priorities. If drones are to be used to dispatch drones carrying nasal spray naloxone, bystanders would be better equipped to administer the antidote to opioid overdose victims on time.

Search and Rescue

It is vital to note that drones and UAVs have a role in the search and rescue of emergency victims. Because these technologies can fly remotely autonomously or non-autonomously, they can reach remote areas far quicker than humans. Drones and UAVs can also take photos and video recordings in real-time, which helps aid search and rescue (SAR) missions.

At the moment, much of this SAR drone application occurs when saving hikers and skiers in an avalanche, mountainous, and heavy snow regions. Accidents in these areas can greatly reduce survival probabilities meaning that rapid rescue missions are required.

An important point to note is that drones cannot extract victims from such topographical scenarios. However, innovators can integrate multispectral or thermal imaging cameras to identify the presence of gasses which helps locate accident victims.

Here, the aim is to efficiently locate victims and understand their conditions before EMS services can arrive at the emergency locations.

Bottom Line

Given the challenges that have come up in the pandemic era and the need for humans to harness technology for healthcare needs, it can be expected that the use of drones and UAVs will increase.

Drone technology allows healthcare stakeholders to transport blood, blood products, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), rescue medications, and perform search and rescue procedures. With global applicability and confidence increasing across all stakeholders, more utilization of drones and UAVs in healthcare can be expected.

If you are looking for a professional and technology-enabled medical logistics and transportation company to meet your organization’s needs, reach out to us. We offer our customers a unique and innovative perspective on managing their medical supply chains. 

We can manage and coordinate all your medical transportation activities for you. Our specialties include ground and air medical couriers, NEMT transportation, ambulance transportation, and unmanned aerial services.

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Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Courier Services, Flight Services

Consideration Factors for Air & Ground Medical Courier Operations

When it comes to getting sensitive materials and specimens to their destinations, you want to make sure that everything is handled with care. Regardless of the mode of transport you choose, it’s crucial that medical shipments get to their destinations safely and quickly. There are two distinctive types of medical couriers: ground and air. Before settling on the right method of transport, you need to know how to weigh their pros and cons. Here are some factors you should consider when choosing between ground and air transportation for your medical courier operations. 

Cost

The obvious advantage of ground transportation is its low cost, especially when you factor in fuel prices. Because aviation fuel is much more expensive than conventional gas, flying can drive up your shipping costs.

However, there are some other considerations you should take into account alongside cost. For example, if you need shipment within 24 hours and your product isn’t temperature-sensitive, ground shipping may make more sense in terms of the overall cost. Conversely, if you need overnight delivery, such as human blood samples sent from one hospital to another, it might be worth investing in air courier services.

Turnaround Time

Time is always a significant factor, especially when you are delivering sensitive products that can only be handled by medical professionals. The prompt arrival of critical items could also mean saving someone’s life.

By using air transport, you are generally able to do deliveries faster than would be possible with ground shipping. While ground shipping can be cheaper, it can be effected by weather changes or road conditions such as traffic jams. 

Nevertheless, at Medi-Ops, we have made our ground transportation system as fast as possible through the use of lights and siren couriers. Our AI technology also makes it easy for us to evaluate many different routes and settle on the most appropriate one, avoiding traffic and other potential pitfalls. 

Ability to Track Shipment

The ability to track your shipment via GPS devices is critical when sending medical supplies. Any sort of tracking device, such as those found on airplanes, can be invaluable in preventing you from losing your shipment altogether. 

If you’re carrying blood products, such as platelets and plasma proteins, you need tracking capabilities that will ensure their safety 24/7. Furthermore, if delivery is urgent and an ambulance must be called in an emergency, having at least some level of tracking capability makes it easier for responders to locate your shipment quickly. 

In addition to airplane deliveries, ground couriers now offer smart shipping containers that come equipped with GPS-tracking technology. These units make shipping medical supplies even more reliable.

Regulations

The regulatory environment is changing rapidly across several industries. Government regulations that impact medical courier services include HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration), FDCA (Food, Drug, & Cosmetic Act), PHMSA (Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration), and IMDG / IATA / RID (International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code).

It is important to determine if your items are classified as Hazardous Materials (HazMat). If they are, you will need an FAA license to transport them via air. However, most states require HazMat items to be transported by ground-only couriers. 

Distance

If you’re only transporting your products across town, you’ll probably have a better experience with ground transportation. On the other hand, the big advantage of air transport is that it covers much larger distances faster than ground vehicles. 

Safety

Whenever your medical courier operation involves specimens, sensitive pharmaceuticals, or highly regulated medical devices, you’ll want to choose a mode of transport that minimizes risk. Air carriers are regulated by multiple federal agencies and have strict safety standards in place. For instance, if something goes wrong with a flight transporting samples from an infectious disease lab, pilots must be specially trained on how to handle such situations. On average, ground transportation for these types of shipments isn’t subject to as many safety regulations. 

Weather Considerations

In areas with a high rate of inclement weather, ground travel can be hazardous and risky. Regardless of how careful drivers can be, they could still hit icy patches on roads, causing vehicles to slide off-road. If you’re located in an area prone to snow, rain, and hurricanes, opt for air transport. It will guarantee you more safety, flexibility, and faster delivery time. 

Condition of Item Being Shipped

Temperature-sensitive or otherwise fragile products need special handling. For such shipments, an air courier service is your best bet, particularly if you don’t have time to wait around on ground shipping. For less sensitive items, it’s better to choose ground services and avoid the high costs associated with airline travel.

An Appropriate Solution for Your Medical Courier

There are many factors that you should consider when choosing between ground and air transport for your medical courier operations. Each mode of transportation has its own benefits and limitations. You need to take into account many factors like cost, expected delivery times, distance, regulatory aspects, legal concerns, and more. At Medi-Ops, we provide you with the right ground and air transport services for all your medical needs. Regardless of how complicated your operation is, our team of medical courier professionals can help you take it from conception to completion. We rely on the best technology that includes AI and machine learning to find the right solution for your transportation needs. Contact us today if you have any questions about our courier services.

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Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Ambulance Services, Flight Services

Spinal Injury Patients: How to Ensure Safe Transportation

Transporting patients with spine or spinal cord injuries can be a painful and complicated process, especially if the transport is uncurated. Before being admitted to a specialty care center, individuals with acute spinal cord injuries (SCI) must make repeated transfers between rooms, wards, and departments, or even between other hospitals. The goal is to maintain full spinal alignment throughout any movement and handling activities if there is a reasonable suspicion of acute SCI. On every occasion, gentle handling, positioning, and turning can prevent or greatly minimize patient pain and discomfort. It also lowers the risk of skin injury and secondary spinal cord injuries. Here is all you need to know about the transportation of spinal injury patients.

How to Identify a Spinal Injury Patient?

Do not move the person if you suspect a back or neck (spinal) injury. Permanent paralysis and other significant consequences are possible outcomes. Assume a person has a spinal injury if they have any of the following symptoms:

  • There is evidence of a brain injury, as well as a change in the person’s state of consciousness over time.
  • The person is in excruciating agony in his or her neck or back.
  • A significant amount of force has been applied to the back or head as a result of an injury.
  • The person feels weak, numb, or paralyzed, and can’t control his or her limbs, bladder, or intestines.
  • The neck or body is twisted or positioned unusually.

What to Do, if You Suspect Someone to Have a Spinal Injury?

  • Seek immediate medical assistance.
  • Maintain the person’s stillness: To prevent movement, place heavy towels or rolled sheets on both sides of the neck, or keep the head and neck in place.
  • Move your head and neck as little as possible: As much first aid as you can while keeping the person’s head and neck still. Begin CPR if there are no signs of circulation (breathing, coughing, or movement), but do not tilt the head back to access the airway. Gently grab the jaw with your fingers and lift it forward. Start chest compressions if the subject has no pulse.
  • Wear your helmet at all times: Remove the helmet if the person is wearing one. If you need to get to the inside of a football helmet, remove the facemask.
  • Don’t go at it alone: You’ll need at least one other person if you have to roll the individual because he or she is vomiting, choking on blood, or you need to make sure the person is still breathing. Work together to keep the wounded person’s head, neck, and back aligned while rolling them to one side, with one of you at the head and the other at the injured person’s side.

Transporting Patients With Spinal Cord Injuries

Patients who have sustained a serious spinal cord injury may require months of treatment and rehabilitation at spinal cord injury hospitals and treatment facilities. These facilities could be rather far away from the hospital where the patient received their initial treatment. After the patient has been stabilized, MediOps services are the best option for transporting the patient to a new treatment center that is several hours away. To ensure effective transportation, your means of transport should be customized with the following:

1. Firm, Cushioned Surface for Support

The restraints must be firm enough to allow cardiopulmonary resuscitation to be administered, and they must be adjustable to reduce patient movement during transport and side-to-side rotation.

2. Side-to-Side Rotation

The mode of conveyance should allow for side-to-side surface rotation, which is beneficial in reducing pulmonary, cardiovascular, and skin breakdown issues.

3. Trendelenburg/Reverse Trendelenburg

The patient’s head or feet should be able to be elevated and lowered 15 degrees.

4. Integrated Traction

Shall be engineered to sustain consistent force traction when the surface rotates side-to-side, with traction levels ranging from O-65 pounds in 5-pound increments. Traction will be provided for the cervical spine, upper and lower extremities, and will be independent of acceleration.

5. Patient Accessibility

Medical workers must be able to administer routine and emergency nursing care with ease. The surface must allow access to the occipital, thoracic, and rectal areas so that patient care can be performed without removing the patient from the surface or jeopardizing the spine’s stability and alignment.

6. The Radiolucent Surface

Must be built to allow X-rays of the patient’s complete spinal column, chest, and lower abdomen without removing the patient from the surface.

7. Vacuum Mattresses Are Comfortable for Spinal Injury Patients

They reduce tissue interface pressure during the transportation of patients.

8. Spinal Board

A spine board makes it easy to transfer a spinal injury patent from an ambulance stretcher. You might consider having a spinal board while transporting a patient. A patient can be placed on a spine board in a variety of ways. The technique employed will be determined by the amount of space available and the patient’s position inside that space. Throughout the process, use a c-collar or manual cervical in-line stabilization to avoid spinal compression or traction. The patient can be slid onto the backboard, feet first or head first, for lengthwise extrication, such as from a vehicle seat. 

During this procedure, the patient must be moved as a whole. Place one end of the backboard on the automobile’s seat or doorsill. At least two other rescuers move the patient’s body onto the board while one stabilizes the opposite end of the board. 

To preserve neurological function and prevent further injury from spinal instability, it is critical to reducing unintentional spinal motion during transportation of patients with cervical spine injuries.  A variety of transportation methods can be used to deliver injured people to the nearest definitive care facility. The form of transportation chosen is determined by the patient’s overall medical condition, the distance to the next capable facility, and the resources available.

Why Choose Us?

Medi-Ops offers medical services that you can trust. We are a technology-enabled medical logistics and transportation company that brings a fresh approach to medical supply chains. Our objective is to reinvent the business by harnessing our team’s culture of creativity and compassion; producing a more reliable, efficient, and sustainable industry. Our experience is in planning and coordinating all elements of medical transportation, both emergency and non-emergent.  This includes both air and ground medical couriers, ambulance transportation, NEMT transportation, and various professional services. If you need to customize your transportation, contact us today!

Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Ambulance Services, Courier Services, Flight Services

An Overview of AI-Powered Medical Logistics

In modern healthcare, timely and accurate patient transport is critical to achieving positive patient outcomes. However, coordinating transport between providers, facilities, patients, and choosing the best routes and transport methods can be challenging. 

As the adoption of AI in healthcare helps streamline medical processes and increase efficiency, machine learning algorithms are being used to manage the complex medical logistics surrounding patient transport.

Manual scheduling for medical transport can be a time-consuming and often frustrating process. Scheduling professionals in the patient transport industry spend hours each week compiling transport requests from dozens of care providers, assessing weather conditions and traffic patterns, coordinating with hospital staff to ensure patient readiness for transport, and choosing the appropriate means of transport based on patient needs. 

AI-powered medical logistics takes much of this burden off healthcare organizations by managing transportation scheduling, routing, and coordination in one interface. Read on to learn how Medi-Ops is helping organizations increase efficiency when coordinating patient transport.

Who Are Medi-Ops?

Efficient scheduling and coordination of patient transport are essential to the health of patients, caregivers, and healthcare organizations. Medi-Ops is a technology-enabled medical logistics and transportation organization that manages the complex coordination of patient transport or medical courier services for a variety of healthcare organizations. 

To provide a better medical logistics experience for patients, caregivers, and providers, Medi-Ops has developed multiple algorithm-driven solutions to help with the transport coordination process. 

We use several inputs related to specific transport services such as patient condition and shipment urgency and leverage AI and deep machine learning to optimize transport selection. 

Our expert dispatchers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and highly experienced to coordinate emergent and non-emergent medical transportation, including NEMT transportation, ground, and air medical couriers, unmanned aerial services, and ambulance transportation.

What is the Importance of Machine Learning and AI in Medical Logistics?

With AI already being rolled out in the healthcare industry to perform robotic surgeries, precision medicine, and streamline medical billing and coding, it is no surprise that AI is catching on in other parts of the healthcare organization. Medical logistics is one aspect of healthcare that AI is positively impacting.

Every day, healthcare professionals are tasked with completing necessary medical transports that range from assisting patients with rehabilitation needs to transferring unstable and critical patients from one medical facility to another. 

Efficient coordination of timely patient transport is key to the success of patient outcomes, caregiver satisfaction, and healthcare organizations. A manual, spreadsheet-driven approach to planning medical logistics is time-consuming and often results in errors due to the complex coordination necessary for patient transport. 

At Medi-Ops, we use deep machine learning and other AI technologies to provide a more efficient means of coordinating patient transport. This helps ensure patient safety and caregiver satisfaction while increasing the healthcare organization’s efficiency.

How Does Medi-Ops Ensure Reliable Medical Logistics?

Reliable medical logistics in the healthcare industry is increasingly important in today’s complex healthcare environment. At Medi-Ops, we strive to provide efficient medical logistics coordination, accurate patient routing information, and quick dispatch to ensure accurate patient transport. 

We have leveraged artificial intelligence and deep machine learning to ensure reliable medical logistics. The Medi-Ops proprietary dispatch system accesses multiple data sets, including patient condition, the urgency of transport, flight availability, weather conditions, traffic patterns, and more, to determine the best means of transport. 

This helps to eliminate inefficiencies and increase the accuracy of patient transport. AI and deep machine learning algorithms also manage real-time routing and coordination of all transport services and updates to patient status and care information. 

What Kind of Data Does Medi-Ops Collect?

To provide accurate patient transport, Medi-Ops collects a variety of data that is used by our AI-powered medical logistics system. Some of the data we collect include:

  • Patient condition – what is the overall status of the patient? Is the patient injured? Do they have any breathing complications or need to be monitored by a doctor in transit? This will help select the best transport mode to ensure the patient receives the appropriate level of care.
  • Patient location – where is the patient located, and can they safely get to the destination point? Is the location accessible by road? What is the traffic like in that area? How long will it take to get the patient safely to the destination point at their current condition?
  • The urgency of shipment – how soon does the transport need to happen? Emergencies, non-emergents, or somewhere in between. How quickly do we have to get the patient from point A to point B?
  • Medical transport needs – what type of transport is necessary for this particular patient? What does the condition and destination need? What is the best-suited mode of transport?
  • Weather conditions – are there any weather conditions in the area that might affect transport? Are there high winds, heavy rain, or other inclement weather that could make transportation unsafe?

Once the Medi-Ops dispatchers have this information, we can work with our medical transportation network to determine the most efficient and safe transport option for the patient and medical staff. We monitor all orders 24/7 and ensure that patient and caregiver safety is always the top priority.

Get Started with Medi-Ops

There are many benefits for healthcare organizations by using AI to manage patient transport logistics, including reduced passenger wait times, proactive notification of patient status, and real-time updates from the field so that providers can stay informed. 

Machine learning and AI technologies have allowed Medi-Ops to develop a more efficient transportation dispatch system that ensures safer, more reliable patient transport. Medi-Ops is a leader in patient transport coordination for hospitals and medical groups, using our expertise to improve the patient experience. By leveraging AI and deep learning algorithms, we can provide the best medical transport solutions to ensure efficient medical courier, inter-facility transfers, and optimize the best route for evacuation and emergency transport. To learn more about how Medi-Ops can help your organization, book a demo with one of our expert coordinators.

Author Medi-Ops Team Categories Blood Bank, Courier Services, Flight Services

Next Flight Out (NFO) White Paper

Last weekend, one of our blood banks in Denver, Colorado required us to transport blood to a hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado. Typically a 5h41m transport, mudslides in Colorado had caused a variety of road closures between Denver and Colorado, increasing transport times to almost 7 hours. This would have bumped the transport price to over $800. Given the ramifications of the patient who needed blood, we needed to find another option. 

As an Indirect Air Carrier (IAC), designated by the TSA, DHS, and FAA, Medi-Ops is honored to be able to provide Next Flight Out (NFO) services for our clients. Utilizing NFO allows us to ship blood, organs, and other human specimens via commercial airlines and our private network of operators. This service allows us to save even more lives while lowering costs for our clients.

Instead of driving the blood, we evaluated multiple flights and their cost effectiveness, while also considering time implications. Including the flight (scheduled through our NFO abilities), and the ground transport costs, we were able to lower the cost to 43% of the original ground transportation. We were also able to save hours of time, benefiting the patients in Grand Junction, and increasing access to care. 

This service is often a fantastic alternative to longer transports of a variety of time requirements. Because we are an IAC, you can contact us to verify a known shipper. You also will have access to our 24/7 dispatch center, our unique algorithms, our private network of operators, and cost savings of this method of transport. We are also able to support your organization in its process of becoming a known shipper, or we can help ship unknown cargo.

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