In the field of medical transportation the primary divider among services is emergency or non-emergency. In an emergency situation you should always contact your local emergency service and act as quickly as possible. In this article we focus on non-emergency long distance medical transportation. That being said, moving a patient over any distance requires skill and careful planning. Moving a patient or loved one over a long distance increases that stress. There are many providers offering just as many levels of service. There is no right or wrong level of service, only the level of care the patient requires. The safest way to go about planning a long distance transport is to find a service that provides the level of care your patient or loved one requires. Every level of service has its benefits and with a careful assessment of the patient and effective communication with the patient’s doctor you will find the right service. The purpose of this article is to stratify the two main types of long distance medical transportation available and explain when a patient would benefit most from each.
The most common type of long distance medical transportation is ground service which transports the patient by automobile. Patients who are in stable condition and are able to breathe without mechanical intervention are well-suited to use these services. There are literally hundreds of services in the United States and many are very reputable. However, what you see is not always what you get, so be careful. Vehicles of every size are available and unfortunately the regulations of the industry are lenient in most aspects. This is complicated by the fact that almost any service you use will be located too far away from you to provide any in-person meeting. The safest practice with ground services is to do your homework. Get a quote and gather as much information from the website as possible. Write the companies to get photos or browse the website. Make sure the pictures are actual photos of the vehicles used. Ask about insurance coverage. General liability insurance is safe feature for a service to offer. These policies generally cover far more than standard auto insurance- covering any damage or wrong-doing on the service’s behalf. Don’t forget comfort, since the patient will be spending several hours on average in the vehicle, and make sure the service provides extra comfort or entertainment measures for the patient. An extra mattress and a DVD player can make a world of difference to a patient traveling long distance. A caveat to remember about comfort is getting into and out of the vehicle. Remember to choose a service that has a stretcher and allows that stretcher to be easily loaded into the vehicle. A rolling palace means nothing unless an immobile patient can be easily put on board.
