Opinion
Time to rethink EMS helicopters?
LETTER — Posted April 6, 2009
Regarding "Emergency doctors join push for better EMS helicopter safety" (Article, March 9): I believe the American College of Emergency Physicians is missing the forest for the trees.
It seems that no hospital is complete without at least one and, ideally (for PR) several, helicopters sitting on their rooftops, awaiting the call for help. Considering the burden to the health care system, the cost in human lives as a result of a crash rate far exceeding other areas of commercial aviation and not enough objective data demonstrating improved outcome, I wonder if the use of aeromedical evacuation should be reconsidered.
Certainly, this method of care has been well-proven in Vietnam and Iraq. The error, however, that we have made is in applying the lessons of wartime in underdeveloped countries to the continental United States.
With the exception of a few very remote areas, it is difficult to justify use of helicopters for transport when a ground ambulance, while not as sexy, is nearly as expeditious and offers better working conditions than do most helicopters in commercial use.
I know of at least two patients who expired due to delays in helicopter transport, when ground transportation was readily available. I am sure my experience is not unique. Given the challenges to our health system, is the helicopter a technology whose use should be (mostly) abandoned?
George Mychaskiw II, DO, Jackson, Miss.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/04/06/edlt0406.htm.
