title: The impact of a helicopter emergency medical services program on potential morbidity and mortality.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The evaluation of the effectiveness of helicopter emergency medical services is currently a major focus of air transport research, and dispatch judgment likely will play a significant role in any research aimed at measuring outcome or impact.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two rotor-wing programs in Alberta, Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  A panel of experts evaluated the effectiveness of a helicopter service in Canada. Four hundred sequential patient records were examined and categorized into four risk levels. Level 1 included patients who required critical intervention. Level 2 included patients in whom a major deterioration of vital signs could be expected. Level 3 patients were those for whom transport by an advanced life support ground unit would have been adequate. Level 4 was strictly for missions in which patient transport by any other means would have been impractical, such as remote locations (these cases were double-rated).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Risk level 1 included 98 cases (24.5%); risk level 2, 266 cases (66.5%); risk level 3, 36 cases (9%); and risk level 4, 16 cases, two of which were rated level 1, 11 rated level 2, and three rated level 3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that in 91% of the reviewed cases, helicopter transport was appropriate, representing a reasonable and judicious use of a helicopter emergency medical service.
authors.affiliation: Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hutton
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: McLellan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McNab
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mears
mesh_terms: D017732:Air Ambulances / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada / Q000453:epidemiology; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D009017:Morbidity; D009026:Mortality; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation