Medical transportation is not an easy business. Moving cargo might be straightforward, but moving people is a big responsibility and requires a serious culture of safety. The safest and most successful players in the industry all have a few core habits in common. Here are our five characteristics of a great medical transportation firm.
Continuing education and training of EMTs, MAVTs, Nurses, Dispatchers, and all staff
Trusted medical transportation providers need to have thorough training processes that test practical and conceptual knowledge at the point of hire and throughout term of employment. They should also look to build a culture of safety at the company in any and every way possible. We decorate our offices with constant reminders of safety best practices. Here are two examples:
Proper lift and transfer technique
Bad lift technique can lead to injury to the EMTs or to the patient. At great medical transportation companies, all EMTs lift correctly every time.
Patient lift best practices:
- Lifting together in one continuous motion
- Countdown before the lift
- Proper posture --- back straight, chin tucked
- Never lift a patient alone --- always use the "two-man technique"
In-house fleet maintenance
Medical transportation vehicles should undergo constant checks to see that they are always in tip-top shape. Having a dedicated fleet repair staff allows companies to keep more of their vehicles running to serve their clients. It will also reduce costly breakdowns and stranding passengers.
Comprehensive vehicle tracking system
Tracking systems allow for viewing vehicle locations in real time, monitoring travelling speed, and alerting dispatch of any hard stops (where the brake has been strongly applied). This way, there are no "blind spots" and drivers are always held accountable.
Medical direction from a local hospital
For Specialty Care ambulance transportation (SCT), providers must operate with the clinical supervision of a hospital. This means that all SCT activities are overseen by a team of nurses and physicians. Providers should also undergo annual reviews of all transportations for future improvements where necessary.
