Developing and validating a checklist for assessing the performance of air ambulance services

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a checklist for assessing the performance of air ambulance services. Method: This is a qualitative study. The first phase involved a review of existing documentation about air emergency standards to create a checklist of the most critical factors and components affecting the performance of air ambulance services. The second phase required experts to complete a performance evaluation checklist from the previous phase. The third phase utilized the Delphi technique to validate the performance evaluation checklist for air ambulance services. The experts in this study were 24 pundits with a vested interest in the subject. Results: A total of 31 items exist in the area of helipad-related facilities, 17 items in the area of process requirements for medical centers with helicopter landing areas, 15 items in the category of human resources for air ambulances, 10 items in the category of human resources for receiving or delivering patients from air ambulances to medical centers, 27 items in the area of base equipment, 17 items in the area of helicopter equipment, and requirements, 14 items in the category of technical, communication, and safety equipment for use inside the helicopter, 1o items dealing with time standards, 11 items dealing with road and urban base requirements for air ambulance operations. Experts approved two items in the area of utilizing other rescue and law enforcement agencies to assist and cooperate with air emergency flights and two items in the area of comfort for conscious patients to alleviate stress during flight. Conclusion: A performance evaluation checklist is an effective tool for evaluating the quantity and quality of emergency helicopter services provided and measuring their performance.

1. Health system transformation plan.Development of the country's air emergency [Available at: http://tahavol.behdasht.gov.ir/].
2. Rzońca P, Świeżewski SP, Jalali R, Gotlib J, Gałązkowski R. Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Response in Rural Areas in Poland: Retrospective Study. Int J Environ Res Public health. 2019;16(9):1532.
3. Sahebi A, Ghomian Z, Sarvar M. Helicopter emergency medical services in 2017 Kermanshah Earthquake; a qualitative study. Arch Acad Emerg Med. 2019;7(1):e31.
4. Alavi E, Pilehvari Z, Bahrami M. Standards of Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for patient transport in urban areas: Review article. Tehran Univ Med J. 2008;66(3):146-57. [persian].
5. Vahidi A, Arzemani M, Vahidi M, Hashemi M. Investigation into performance of emergency units of hospitals of North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences in 2012. J North Khorasan Univ Med Sci. 2013;5(1):159-65. [persian].
6. Bidari A. AS, Farsi D., Saeidi H, Mofidi M, Radmehr M, et al. Quality assessment of prehospital
care service in patients transported to Hazret-e-Rasoul Akram hospital medical journal of Tabriz
University of medical sciences. Med J Tabriz Univ Med Sci. 2007;29(3):43-6. [persian].
7. Rahmani A, Vazirinejad R, Ahmadinia H, Rezaian M. Methodological Principles and Applications of the Delphi Method: A Narrative Review. J Rafsanjan Univ Med Sci. 2020;19(5):515-38. [persian].
8. Comprehensive Guidelines for Air Ambulance Services (Second Edition) [Available at: http://ems.mui.ac.ir/emsform].
9. Comprehensive guidelines for air ambulance services (first edition) [Available at: https://ems.hums.ac.ir/uploads/dastooramal_khadamate_balgard.pdf].
10. Pre-hospital medication and emergency equipment instructions (Air Ambulance - Version 1-1) [Available at: http://ems.umsha.ac.ir/uploads/he_261509.pdf].
11. Instruction code 350 (safety, security and clinical team receiving or delivering the patient from air ambulance in medical centers) [Available at: https://web.ssu.ac.ir/Dorsapax/userfiles/Sub54/mcmc/dastor-350.pdf].
12. Akbarisari A, Habibi F, Khosravi B, Hamouzadeh P, Yousefvand M. Designed Questionnaire to Evaluate the Performance of Hospital Emergency. J Hosp. 2020;19(1):44-51. [persian].
13. Mohammad A, Ali S, Peirhossein K, Amin S, Gholamreza M, Mohammad S, et al. Check the Program Upgrading the Air Emergency Services in the Health Transformation Plan: A Review of the Background, Necessity, Results and Challenges. Hakim Health Sys Res J. 2017;20(3):175-85. [persian].
14. Memarzadeh M, Rafiei MH, Hosseinpour M, Nazemi Rafi M. Study of air transport of trauma
patients in Esfahan. Iran J Surg. 2007;15(2)71-6. [persian].
15. Myers JA, Powell DM, Psirides A, Hathaway K, Aldington S, Haney MF. Non-technical skills evaluation in the critical care air ambulance environment: introduction of an adapted rating instrument-an observational study. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med. 2016;24:24.
16. Shojamoradi MH, Alavi E, Zarrabi B, Pilehvari Z, Kaviani A. Evaluation of the Patients Transported by Tehran Helicopter Emergency Medical Service: the Necessity of Using Appropriate Triage Criteria. Razi J Med Sci. 2008;15:99-106. [persian].
17. Coughlan D, McMeekin P, Flynn D, Ford GA, Lumley H, Burgess D, et al. Secondary transfer of emergency stroke patients eligible for mechanical thrombectomy by air in rural England: economic evaluation and considerations. Emerg Med J. 2021;38(1):33-9.
18. Eri M, Jafari N, Kabir MJ, Mahmoodishan G, Moghassemi MJ, Tahanian M, et al . Concept and Challenges of Delivering Preventive and Care Services in Prehospital Emergency Medical Service: A Qualitative Study. J Mazandaran Univ Med Sci. 2015;25(126):42-57.
19. Bayrami R, Ebrahimipour H, Hasanzadeh A. Challenges in prehospital emergency medical service in Mashhad: A qualitative study. Hospital. 2017;16(2(61)):81-9. [persian].
Files
IssueVol 6 No 3 (2022): Summer (July) QRcode
SectionOriginal article
DOI 10.18502/fem.v6i3.9394
Keywords
Air Ambulances Emergency Medical Services Health Care Process Assessment Validation Studies as Topic

Rights and permissions
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Jafari H, Askari R, Montazerolfaraj R, Pahlavanpoor S, Kalantarzadeh ZA. Developing and validating a checklist for assessing the performance of air ambulance services. Front Emerg Med. 2022;6(3):e32.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.