Regional intensive care transports: a prospective analysis of distance, time and cost for road, helicopter and fixed-wing ambulances

Scandinavian Journal of Trauma, Resuscitation and Emergency Medicine

Michael Haney²  Lars Lindholm¹  Ola Winsö²  Helge Brändström² 

[1] Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden;Surgical and Perioperative Sciences, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden

关键词: Health economics;    Fixed-wing ambulance;    Road ambulance;    Helicopter;    Intensive care transport;    Ambulance;   

Others  :  802349
DOI  :  10.1186/1757-7241-22-36

 received in 2014-01-27, accepted in 2014-05-21,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

There are three different types of ambulance systems, all of which can manage the same secondary intensive care patient transport mission: road ambulance, rotor-wing ambulance, and fixed-wing ambulance. We hypothesized that costs for specific transport distances would differ between systems. We aimed to analyze distances and observed times for ambulance intensive care secondary transport missions together with system costs to assess this.

Methods

We prospectively collected data for consecutive urgent intensive care transports into the regional tertiary care hospital in the northern region of Sweden. Distances and transport times were gathered, and a cost model was generated based on these together with fixed and operating costs from the three different ambulance systems. Distance-cost and time–cost estimations were then generated for each transport system.

Results

Road ambulance cost relatively less for shorter distances (within 250 kilometers/155 miles) but were relatively time ineffective. The rotor-wing systems were most expensive regardless of distance; but were most time-effective up to 400–500 km (248–310 miles). Fixed-wing systems were more cost-effective for longer distance (300 km/186 miles), and time effective for transports over 500 km (310 miles).

Conclusions

In summary, based on an economic model developed from observed regional ICU patient transports, and cost estimations, different ambulance system cost-distances could be compared. Distance-cost and time results show that helicopters can be effective up to moderate ICU transport distances (400–500), though are expensive to operate. For longer ICU patient transports, fixed-wing transport systems are both cost and time effective compared to helicopter-based systems.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Brändström et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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