The impact of aeromedical helicopter programs on emergency medicine resident training: resident attitudes, perceived risks, and benefits.
Using emergency medicine residents as helicopter flight physicians is a recent evolution in residency training. In an effort to study the impact such a system has on residents in emergency medicine, residents participating in helicopter transport were surveyed at 10 programs in the United States. The potential survey field was 118 residents with (81%) responding. Generally helicopter transport was perceived to be educational (80%), enjoyable (88%), and safe (74%). A total of 75% felt that benefits of transport outweighed the risks, despite an increase in aeromedical helicopter fatalities in 1985. In six of ten programs residents wore shoulder restraints, in two they wore helmets, and in no program were fire-retardant clothing worn on a regular basis. Of the 72 residents involved in mandatory participation, 69% would continue flying in a voluntary system. Although it is clear that selected patients benefit from aeromedical transports, refined triage protocols as well as further studies to identify the costs and benefits of such transport programs to participating emergency medicine residents are needed. Flight safety equipment including helmets, shoulder-harness restraints, and fire-retardant suits are underutilized at all programs surveyed.
D000401:Aircraft; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004635:Emergency Medicine / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014187:Transportation of Patients; D014481:United States