AirMed&Rescue (05/02/25)
Air medical transport is very different from ground-based medical transport, and its specialized equipment and training needs are different as well. The equipment must be light, sturdy, easy-to-use, precise, battery-powered, and cost-effective. It also must be able to stand up to the effects of vibration, acceleration, low-pressure environments, water, dust, and fire. In terms of training, all air medical procedures factor in the need to account for limited space, aircraft motion, and environmental conditions. Terry Martin, Senior Lecturer and Director of Aeromedical Training, provider of the CCAT suite of educational packages, notes that continuous learning and development is essential for air medical transport professionals. "Training topics should encompass every facet of service delivery," he says. "Emergency and rarely used procedures should take precedence, but even apparently mundane topics like catching up with the latest service standard operating procedures need to be factored into a planned cycle of continuing professional development training." Medical crews must follow a structured training matrix that combines best practices with the most recent medical knowledge. Other facets of training include simulations of various scenarios, such as equipment malfunctions, in-flight emergencies, and mass casualty incidents, according to Anyarit Sangcharaswichai, Flight Physician at BDMS Medevac Center at Bangkok Hospital Headquarters. Sangcharaswichai explains that additional proficiency maintenance activities focus on specialized cross-training and education; crew resource management; advanced life support; civilian aeromedical transport; and communication and teamwork. Challenges for air medical training include the constant influx of new techniques, medicines, and equipment; the often-unpredictable working pattern; potential medical and legal issues; and ensuring that training programs are current with Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems Global standards.
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