The Effects of Bar-coding Technology on Medication Errors: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: The bar-coding technology adoptions have risen drastically in U.S. health systems in the past decade.

Spinal Cord Injuries and Helicopter Emergency Medical Services, 6,929 Patients: A Multicenter Analysis.

Objective: Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) impacts quality of life for patients and caregivers, generating lifetime costs in the millions. Previous studies show delayed treatment of SCI patients at specialized centers is linked to complicated outcomes and extended hospitalizations. This study characterizes helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) use in SCI and develops a methodology to study large volumes of HEMS electronic medical record data from multiple providers.

Stroke and Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Transports: An Analysis of 25,332 Patients.

Objective: Helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) are effective in time-sensitive illnesses, including stroke. Intravenous tissue plasminogen activator is beneficial for ischemic stroke within 4.5 hours of onset.

The 2003 Air Medical Leadership Congress: findings and recommendations.

To address important concerns facing the air medical community, 149 air medical transport leaders, providers, consultants, and experts met September 4-6, 2003, in Salt Lake City, Utah, for a 3-day summit-the Air Medical Leadership Congress: Setting the Health Care Agenda for the Air Medical Community. Using data from a Web-based survey, top air medical transport issues were identified in four core areas: safety, medical care, cost/benefit, and regulatory/compliance. This report reviews the findings of previous congresses and summarizes the discussions, findings, recommendations, and proposed industry actions to address these issues as set forth by the 2003 congress participants.

The Air Medical Leadership Congress: setting the health care agenda for the air medical community.

Background: Emergency air medical transport provides the means for critically ill or injured patients to rapidly access sophisticated medical flight teams and medical centers. However, issues such as surging emergency medical services helicopter accidents, expected pilot and nurse shortages, falling reimbursements, and new compliance regulations are now threatening these important but expensive transport services. Unless an industry strategy can be developed to address these and other threats, many medical flight programs may be forced to curtail the availability of these lifesaving services.