TY - JOUR
T1 - Ground Versus Air
T2 - Which Mode of Emergency Medical Service Transportation Is More Likely to Crash?
AU - Hartmann, Krista
AU - Lubin, Jeffrey
AU - Boehmer, Sue
AU - Amin, Sibgha
AU - Flamm, Avram
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Air Medical Journal Associates
PY - 2023/1/1
Y1 - 2023/1/1
N2 - Objective: We analyzed helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and ground emergency medical services (GEMS) crash data in the United States during 1983 to 2020 to compare incidences of total, fatal, and injury crashes. Methods: HEMS and GEMS total, fatal, and injury crashes during 1983 to 2020 and 1988 to 2020, respectively, were analyzed in this retrospective study. Data were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Additional data from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, and prior literature were used for rate calculations. A Poisson regression model was used to determine rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals comparing total, fatal, and injury crash rates from 2016 to 2020. Results: HEMS crash rates decreased since 1983. Total GEMS crashes have increased since 1988. Of the total crashes, 33% (HEMS) and 1% (GEMS) were fatal, and 20% (HEMS) and 31% (GEMS) resulted in injury. During 2016 to 2020, GEMS crash rates were 11.0 times higher than HEMS crash rates (95% confidence interval, 5.2-23.3; P < .0001). Conclusion: HEMS has a lower crash probability than GEMS. The availability of data is a limitation of this study. National GEMS transportation data could be useful in studying this topic further.
AB - Objective: We analyzed helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) and ground emergency medical services (GEMS) crash data in the United States during 1983 to 2020 to compare incidences of total, fatal, and injury crashes. Methods: HEMS and GEMS total, fatal, and injury crashes during 1983 to 2020 and 1988 to 2020, respectively, were analyzed in this retrospective study. Data were obtained from the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Additional data from the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Emergency Medical Services Information System, and prior literature were used for rate calculations. A Poisson regression model was used to determine rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals comparing total, fatal, and injury crash rates from 2016 to 2020. Results: HEMS crash rates decreased since 1983. Total GEMS crashes have increased since 1988. Of the total crashes, 33% (HEMS) and 1% (GEMS) were fatal, and 20% (HEMS) and 31% (GEMS) resulted in injury. During 2016 to 2020, GEMS crash rates were 11.0 times higher than HEMS crash rates (95% confidence interval, 5.2-23.3; P < .0001). Conclusion: HEMS has a lower crash probability than GEMS. The availability of data is a limitation of this study. National GEMS transportation data could be useful in studying this topic further.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.amj.2022.10.014
DO - 10.1016/j.amj.2022.10.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 36710032
AN - SCOPUS:85142208345
SN - 1067-991X
VL - 42
SP - 28
EP - 35
JO - Air Medical Journal
JF - Air Medical Journal
IS - 1
ER -